


Facing death

by elricsyao



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003), Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: (mostly hurt), Angst, Automail, Betrayal, Blood, Cute Children, Drachman's, Ed deserves a break, Ed!Torture, Ed's guilt complex, Ed's selflessness, Edwin being cute, Especially in later chapters, F/M, Gen, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, I love angst, Kidnapping, Kissing, Let Ed be Vulnerable Challenge, Moral Dilemmas, Near character death, Parental!Hawkeye, Parental!Roy, Parental!Royai, Parental!Royed, Soft Edwin scenes, Star Gazing, Surgery, Tags being added as the story goes, Whump, brotherly!Ed, dark themes, ed being vulnerable, edwin - Freeform, first try at a longer FMAB story, mama hawkeye, possible royai - Freeform, throwing canon out the window
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:07:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 65,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23471446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elricsyao/pseuds/elricsyao
Summary: Edward knows the feeling of death very well. He wouldn't feel its icy claws again until he was 14.OrA string of murders and a strange request leave Edward in over his head imprisoned many miles away from his loved ones. Will he be able to escape his prison or will he break and be killed?Parental!Royed!, Edwin, some Royai! Rated T for blood and gore and Eventual violent scenes
Relationships: Alphonse Elric & Roy Mustang, Alphonse Elric & Winry Rockbell, Edward Elric & Alphonse Elric, Edward Elric & Original Character(s), Edward Elric & Rosé Thomas, Edward Elric & Roy Mustang, Edward Elric/Winry Rockbell, Riza Hawkeye & Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye/Roy Mustang, Rosé Thomas & Original male character
Comments: 116
Kudos: 124





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing a multi chapter story! I really hope y'all enjoy! Give me feedback if you enjoy! Thanks

Edward Elric is very familiar with death. After all, he had been in its icy claws once before. Committing Human Transmutation had nearly killed him. He would never forget collapsing beside the suit of armor, almost unconscious. Edward forced himself to endure just a bit longer to make sure his brother was in the armor. When he confirmed Alphonse was alive, he passed out immediately. 

Alphonse was so relieved when Edward woke up three days later. He was in too much pain to understand how he had gotten to Granny Pinako's. Winry would tell him months later that Al had shown up at their door on that rainy night, carrying his unconscious body. Ed never wanted Al to go through that ever again.

Ed kept that feeling of death in his mind as a reminder that one should never try human transmutation. It wasn't until four years later, at fourteen, he would feel the icy claws of death wrap around him once more.

* * *

Edward grumbled as he walked through central HQ. ' _ Of course, colonel bastard had to call me in right when I'm getting ready to look for another lead.'  _ "What's wrong, Nissan?" Al glances at Edward. He was silent for a moment.

"Colonel bastard is about to issue me a new assignment when he knows we were about to leave for another search for the stone."

Alphonse stifles a sigh. His brother had always disliked Colonel Mustang. He had never understood where the roots of the dislike started.

"Brother, the stone can wait for a while. I can wait." Edward's paced slowed, guilt flaring up.

A frown came to his face, and he hoped that Al didn't notice. The guilt was  _ his  _ to carry and not Al's. He and Al came to this conversation many times in the past. He'd never understood why his little brother was so forgiving.

' _ I don't deserve him.'  _ It was true, ever since that day; he had never felt that he deserved Al's love or trust.

Ed felt the guilt rise in his chest.

_ 'Hopefully, you won't have to wait that much long little brother.'  _

He remembered the first time he profusely apologized to Al. It had been recently after his automail surgery, and he was half delirious from pain. He remembered breaking down to sobs in the bathroom; he had just vomited from the pain. 

Al had comforted him then, holding him in his arms. " _ I don't deserve to be held. I screwed everything up, and now you're trapped."  _ He had sobbed in his brother's metal arms. All Al did was hold him as he cried. " _ Brother, it wasn't your fault. I helped you; I'm partly to blame."  _ His sobs had calmed down to mere hiccuping whimpers by then. 

_ "I'm your older brother, Al. I should've known better."  _

He didn't know what Al said after that. Ed remembers that he finally fell asleep, exhausted from sobbing. The next thing he knew, he was lying in his bed, Granny Pinako watching over him. That was when he resolved to get his little brother's body back.

Ed's broken out of his thoughts with a tap on his shoulder. Edward shakes his head and turns towards Al. He feels Al's questioning look but ignores it. Edward raised his automail leg, buried down the feeling of guilt, and kicked open the door. His golden eyes looked around the room, and a smirk came to his face.

The silence that met him was unexpected. He had expected at least some cheers from Havoc, a greeting of 'hey chief.' Ed's golden eyes survey the room as he walks in.

"What's going on?"

He had never seen Mustang's office so silent. Now, that wasn't entirely true. He had only seen the office this silence once before. It'd been when Havoc had been shot by a terrorist when he had gone on a mission that should've been harmless.

Mustang comes out of his office.

"Let's talk in my office, Fullmetal." Ed doesn't get what's going on.

Even Mustang was silent as he waited for Ed to walk into his office. He had never seen his commanding officer silent for so long. Mustang closes the door behind Ed and sits in his chair.

"Mustang, what's going on?" Ed can't stand the silence that permeates the room.

" _ He  _ struck again." Edward's blood runs cold. He knows precisely what Mustang is talking about. 

Over the past month, there had been thirty killings throughout central. Each victim was found with their throats slit and either one of their arms or legs missing. They would also be missing teeth and fingernails. Each death was a perfect crime.

Ed had watched as Mustang grew more and more frustrated with each passing day as no leads or evidence turned up. It frustrated Ed, how could one person get away with killing so many people? Ed doesn't think he's ever felt as frustrated as he is right now. 

Ed hisses in anger.

"How does this bastard keep getting away?"

Mustang gives him an unimpressed look. He places a file in front of Ed. Ed looks at him suspiciously; Mustang had been trying to keep him away from this case for ages.

"I thought you didn't want me on this case," Ed growled.

Mustang snorted. He wouldn't admit it, but the kid was lightening his mood.

"There's been a change in circumstances." He pushed the packet over to Ed. Ed crossed his arms.

"Is that why they're all quiet like someone died?" He motions to the closed office door.

Mustang nods. He prepared himself as Ed opened to the package. Ed's eyes widened as he read the paper.

* * *

_ Dear Roy Mustang,  _

_ I hope you like this little gift I left you. It was such fun cutting my victims up. Who knew that human flesh was so easy to cut through. You might be asking why I'm killing them. Well, I need your attention. In the event you're reading this, give it to the Fullmetal Alchemist. I will know if you haven't.  _

_ I've heard of the many things that the great Fullmetal Alchemist can do. It's not every day that someone can transmute without a circle. I know exactly what happened to make you be able to do that. It's what also put your younger brother in that suit of armor. You've seen the truth. I've always wanted to know the truth. There haven't been any reports of people who've committed Human Transmutation and lived.  _

_ If you don't want to see your brother in a laboratory for the rest of his life, meet me at 12th and Susana on August 12th by 12:30 AM. If you don't, then, we'll just have to see what happens to that friend of yours. Winry Rockbell, was it? She lives in Resembool, your childhood friend. You also wouldn't want me to leak your secret, right? _

_ Sincerely,  _

_ Anamala _

* * *

Edward slams his automail fist down on Mustang's desk, cracking the wood. Ed's shaking with rage.

"When did you get this?" He demands, golden eyes burning like a raging forest fire.

"Earlier this morning." Mustang watched Ed, trying to see how angry the kid was. Ed hisses and kicks the side of Mustang's desk. 

To say that Edward was enraged was an understatement. He would do anything to protect the ones he loved. Ed didn't care that this psycho knew his secret. He didn't care that he was at the risk of being sent to prison for the rest of his life. Ed didn't even care that this Anamala guy probably wanted to kill him.  _ Nobody  _ threatened Al and Winry and got away with it.  _ Nobody  _ got to threaten Al, his brother, his world, his reason for living.  _ Nobody  _ threatened Winry, his best friend in the world as a whole, and got away with it. Those two people were the only people in the entire world who understood him. So, yeah, saying he was pissed off was an understatement.

"What did this Anamala guy send you, Mustang?" His rage-filled golden gaze searches Mustang's dark eyes.

Mustang rummages around on his desk and pulls out two photos, crime scene photos. Ed snatched the pictures angrily from Mustang's hands.

He wasn't prepared for what he saw. A young woman was lying on the ground, covered in crimson. Her sky blue eyes staring unseeing. Her throat had been slit from ear to ear, along with her left arm. It was missing from the elbow down. Her left leg was almost cut in half. Ed felt that he was going to be sick.

He grimaced and pushed the photos back to Mustang. "Who was she?" He asks and suppresses the sickness he's feeling. "Rianan Mooresky, 20. She worked in a local tavern, making money for her sick mother. Ed sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He takes a second. ' _ All these victims, were they killed to gain my attention?'  _ The thought makes Ed feel sick.

As if knowing what he's thinking, Al puts his hand on Ed's shoulder. "This is my fault." He looks at the ground.

Thirty people had died because of him. He swallows the lump in his throat. His consciousness slams into him.

' _ The killings are all your fault. Your recklessness has finally caught up to you!'  _ He banishes the thought from his mind and tries to focus on the task at hand.

* * *

Roy watched the kid as he receded into his mind. He tilts his head, watching the kid's golden gaze. His golden fire reflected anger and then changed to guilt. Roy can tell that guilt is eating the kid alive. He can't help but sympathize with the kid.

Roy knew the feeling well. He would feel the same feeling after coming home from Ishval. The feeling of death on his hands nearly drove him mad. During Ishval, he'd have bad nightmares. The nightmares of him burning his friends alive never went away. He knew what was going through Ed's head. It wasn't Ed's fault. It was the fault of this Anamala guy who was running free right now.

"This isn't your fault, Fullmetal. This guy sounds insane." Roy hoped that he could make Ed understand that under any circumstances, he wasn't to blame. After all, Ed was reckless, selfless to a fault, and willing to sacrifice himself for a loved one at a moment's notice.

Ed shakes his head. "He said to meet me on August 12th, right? That gives me two days to make a plan to stop this guy."

Edward met Mustang's gaze in defiance.

"This is my fight. I'm not going to let you stop me." He wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Fullmetal," Mustang warns. "You're not doing this alone." Ed's golden glare turned dangerously orange as anger determination filled his eyes.

"You can't stop me, Mustang. This guy wants me. I'm not letting anyone else get hurt. If it's me he wants, then it's me he's going to get."

Ed turns and flings the office door opening. He's so angry. He's going to stop this psychotic bastard and the killings, screw what Mustang thinks.

Alphonse says an apologetic goodbye and follows his brother. Mustang massages his temples, preparing for the oncoming migraine. He hears a knock on the door and looks up. His lieutenant stands at the door, a thoughtful look on her face. "It didn't go took good it looks like." He sighs, she knew him so well.

"He's going to do something reckless. I can tell. He's always reckless when the people he loves are in danger."

Hawkeye nods.

"We could post guards outside of his dorm room." She offers. He nods.

"It would be a good idea, but he's smart, he could outsmart them." Finally, he got an idea. He'd have to tell this to Alphonse, who he hoped would agree.

"He's not going to like this lieutenant, but if worse comes to worse, then it'll be the last resort.

"Sir, am I going to like this?" Her amber eyes stare into his dark eyes. He rubs the back of his sheepishly and gives her a half-smile.

"Probably not." He sighs.

"Can you bring Havoc in here?" "Yes, sir." She salutes him and goes to find Havoc. 

Hawkeye returns a few minutes later, Havoc in tow.

"You need me, boss?" Havoc pulls out a cigarette and lights it. Roy rolls his eyes. He's never understood Havoc's love for those things.

"Yeah, if worse comes to worst, we need a way to knock Fullmetal out so he can't go after this guy." 

Havoc looked at him, eyes widened. "You sure that's not a little over the top? The chief is going to be so pissed. We don't know what could happen after he wakes up."

Roy understands Havoc's fears, but this is Ed they were talking about. The kid who brought his mom back to life, the kid that one time somehow managed to take down a four-story building just to catch one criminal.

"It'll only be a last resort. When Fullmetal sets his mind on doing something, he's going to do it." He reassures Havoc. Havoc nods.

"Propofol would knock him out completely. Usually knocks a grown man out within Ten minutes. My guess, with how small he is, would take five minutes at the most."

Roy nods to himself.  _ This could work as a last resort. He would probably hate me if we used it on him _ . Roy shakes the thoughts from his head. If it meant protecting him, he could live with Ed hating him.

"Get it prepared. If he tries to sneak out or uses force to try and go find this psycho, then we'll have to use." Havoc nodded.

"I hope we won't have to use it, boss." He said as he left the room. Roy sat heavily in his seat. He just wanted to catch this psychotic bastard and end all the chaos once and for all.

* * *

Edward flings himself onto his bed in the dorm room. Millions of different thoughts fly through his head. Staring up at the ceiling, he traces each tile, counting each tile. He stares for what could either be minutes or hours. He doesn't mind meeting the serial killer if it means saving the lives of many more people.

Ed is jolted out of his head by a hand on his shoulder. He turns his head and sees Al. "What is it, little brother?"

Al sighs and sits beside him on the bed. Ed has gotten pretty good at reading Al's emotions ever since Al ended up in the armor. He could tell Al was anxious, and he frowned.

"You ok?" Al sighs again. Al moved on the bed and looked into his eyes.

"I can't lose you; you're the only family I have left." Ed's breath catches in his throat. He rarely had conversations like this with Al.

Usually, they were after he did something stupid, not before. He knows he's let some emotion shine through the mask he's built up so well when Al draws him into a hug.

He buries his face into Al's chest plate. He never planned on dying, but if it were to protect Al, he'd die in a heartbeat. "I'm not going to die, Al." He hopes that his voice isn't trembling.

Al pulls back and looks at him for a long second. "Please, just let Colonel Mustang and his team handle this. What if the letter was a lie? What if he kills you on the spot------," "Al." He interrupts him.

"You've seen the crime scene pictures; you saw how brutally they were killed. I'm not going to anyone die like that ever again." His voice is rising, but he needs Al to know that he has to meet this guy.

"Do what you have to do," Al says after a while.

Ed can't stop the aching feeling that's pulling at his heart. Al was going to worry now. He hated making Al worry. Ed didn't know what to say, so all he could do was nod. "I'm going to go for a walk." His brother walks away, his posture defeated. Ed buries his head in his pillow, he hated making his little brother upset, but he didn't know what else to do.

Ed knows he'll have to apologize to Al when this is all over. He has half a mind to go running outside and apologize right now. However, Al would take that as he's changed his mind. He hasn't. He knows that Al wants to help, come with, be the team that they usually are.

He can't bear the thought of what could happen to Al if something went wrong.

If Anamala would give him an ultimatum.

He  _ knows  _ that he'd do anything asked of him if Al's life was at stake.

He would do anything to protect Al.

So just this once, he's going to have to push Al away.

Is it for his own good, right? Ed hoped so. Ed swallows the lump in his throat and tries to push down the misery threatening to overwhelm him. Just this once. He'd only face this problem just this once, right?

* * *

Author's note update:

**Forgot to add this yesterday. If you're curious about what I'm writing or want to request anything feel free to contact me on Instagram @extrawestallen, on twitter @wests_barry, on fanfiction.net @sarahpuryear, and on Tumblr @thewestallenlover. Hope y'all enjoyed!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter! Thank y'all so much for the kudos! I really appreciate it! Leave a review if you want! Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer:

Al walked down the street, his thoughts cluttered. He was frustrated, but he was also sad. He wanted to help his brother. Al had never seen brother this desperate. He gave a metallic sigh and sits on a bench. Al only wished he could stop Ed before doing something he’d regret.

He only realizes that he’d spaced out when he hears a metallic clang. Al’s armored head jolts up. It takes him a second before he recognizes Colonel Mustang’s familiar smirk.

“Oh! Colonel Mustang! Sorry, I was in my head.” Alphonse apologized profusely.

Mustang laughed. “It’s alright, Alphonse,” he takes a seat beside the boy. They sat in silence for several minutes, staring at the wooded forest in front of them.

Al particularly loved sitting here at this time of year. It was always sunny and quiet. Whenever he was frustrated about his body, it would cheer him up just a little.

Finally, Mustang decided to break the silence. “Are you out here for the same reason I am?” He looked over in surprise. How could the Colonel tell that he was here to think?

Al sighs softly and nods. “I’m worried, Colonel. I’m so worried that brother is going to get himself killed. I was hoping that coming here would clear up thoughts on what to do, but it hasn’t helped so far,”

Mustang patiently listens to him as he admits his worries.

“He’s always been this way, thinking everything is his fault. I tried to talk to him when we got back, but I couldn’t change his mind.”

Mustang’s face turned into a frown. ‘ _ The poor kid sounds miserable.’ _

He patted Al’s arm awkwardly. He wasn’t good with teenagers when it came to emotions. The backup plan that he and his team had created suddenly came to his mind.

“Alphonse, I think that we may have a plan to stop Ed from doing something stupid.”

Al quickly turns to look at him, surprised. “You came up with a plan that quickly?” Al was surprised; it had barely been an hour since he and Ed had left Mustang’s office.

Mustang nods, his obsidian colored eyes staring into Alphonse’s soulfire red. 

“What do you have in mind?” The air around Alphonse is curious and questioning.

“Come on; I originally came to find you to bring you back to HQ. We’re meeting the rest of the team to discuss the plan.”

Mustang hoped that would be a good enough answer for Alphonse for the time being. He’s relieved when Al stands up to follow him. 

* * *

Edward threw the packet of crime scene information across the room and slammed his automail arm on the desk. 

He growled in anger and dug his hands in his blond bangs. He was frustrated; this Anamala guy had no patterns.

_‘Well, of course, there are no patterns. He’s been killing just to get your attention this entire time.’_

Ed let his head fall on the desk. There had to be some way to prevent these murders without giving himself up. He stands up and grabs his notebook, looking at his notes. There had to be a pattern with the killings. 

Maybe the murders were situated close to where the guy lived. He snorted. That would just be his luck. 

‘ _ All of the victims have been barmaids. They all were taking breaks in the ally ways when they were murdered.’ _

A thought suddenly occurred to Ed, his hopes rising. He looked at the reports and listed down each murder spot, tapping his pen against his lips.

“Two murders on Twelfth Street, three on Susana, and four on 11th.” He finished the final point on the map and stares. 

Ed growls and slams the map book closed. This wasn’t getting him anywhere. The radius of murders had centered around the rich part of Central.

_‘ Why would a member of the rich elite want to kill barmaids to get my attention?’ Why would one of the wealthy elite want to try Human Transmutation?’_

Ed suddenly got an idea. He knew what he needed to do. 

_ ‘Death records are kept up to date and are usually placed in libraries. Maybe the Central library will have the most recent deaths.’  _ He stuffed the pictures and reports back into the packet and grabbed his coat. 

_ ‘That has to be it, right? This guy could want me to bring back a dead relative. A sibling or a lover perhaps.’  _ That would make sense as to why he’d want him. What didn’t make sense was why Anamala had killed so many people and waited months to call Ed out. 

Ed knew he had to figure out the pattern before tomorrow. He was going to find this Anamala guy and stop him before he had to meet him. There was no way he was going to go headlong into danger without finding the motive first.

* * *

Havoc tapped his fingers slowly on his desk. He was bored. He hated being bored. Where was the Colonel, he had told them to meet him at HQ at 6:30. Havoc checked his watch. He withheld a giggle of laughter. His boss,  _ THE  _ flame alchemist, was late for the first time in forever.

"Hey, Breda, want to prank the boss?" Breda's face gained a devilish smirk. They both stood up.

"Boys." Hawkeye's gun clicked as she walked into the room. Her face, a blank mask as usual.

They both gulped. "S-Sorry Hawkeye. The boss is a little late."

Hawkeye's face remained unamused. "He had to go find Alphonse."

She took her seat beside the Colonel's desk.

It was a few minutes later when the Colonel came in with Al behind him. He glanced around the room at each of them. Al took a seat beside Havoc. Fuery and Falman came running in a few seconds later. 

"S-Sorry we-we're late, sir. Falman needed help with his radio at his house." The small raven-haired boy apologized.

"It's fine. Just take a seat, you two." They take a seat quickly. Everyone was finally together.

"What's your plan, colonel?" Al was curious now. He had held back his questions on the walk over to HQ. Now his questions were ready to leak out of his head.

Mustang looked at Havoc. "You get the propofol," Havoc nodded and opened the case beside him.

Al watched curiously as Havoc as he took out a vial of clear liquid and a syringe. He carefully opened the lid of the bottle and filled the syringe.

"What does propofol have to do with the plan you came up with, Colonel?"

Al was confused. How would this help brother?

"Propofol is a drug that's used during surgery to anesthetize patients. It can knock a grown man unconscious within fifteen minutes of being administered. I plan to place guards outside of your dorm room and outside the windows of your dorm room,"

Al was beginning to understand what the Colonel was getting to.

"I'll have Breda, Major Armstrong, and Havoc guarding the outside. "Falman and Hawkeye will be guarding the door. Knowing Fullmetal, he'll try and sneak out of the window," Everyone was listening intently to what the Colonel was saying.

"If in the event he is caught and puts up a fight, we will give him the propofol." Mustang motions for Havoc to start explaining the effects of the drug. 

"Propofol would be able to knock Ed unconscious quickly. At most, it would be five minutes. I have a feeling it'll be at least two minutes before the drug begins to affect him. He would need to be held down if he starts struggling." Havoc finishes the explanation of the drug, and his blue eyes drift to Mustang and wait for him to explain the rest of the plan.

"After he's unconscious, we will move him to one of the HQ holding cells and restrain his hands, and then Breda, Havoc, Hawkeye, and some MP's will go and search for our psycho at where he said to meet him in the letter," Mustang's topaz eyes scan everyone's face as he finishes the explanation.

"Colonel, don't you think that's a little much? Brother's only 14," Al looks at him in concern. "I'm a little worried that after this all good and done and this killer is captured, he'll lose trust in all of us. We're supposed to be on his side. I just don't feel good about this plan.

Roy understood why Al was unsure about this plan. He didn't understand why this was his plan. He did know why Al would feel the way that he was currently feeling. Ed and Al were best friends, each other's worlds. He knew that Ed would do anything for Al and that Al would do anything for Ed. Al had never betrayed his brother before. They trusted each other with everything they had. That was especially important, Ed never opened up to anyone else, just Al. 

He had seen just how close they were when Ed had been hit by a car when he first joined the military. He and Ed had been on their first assignment together. By this time, Ed had been in the military for five months. That had been when Roy had learned quickly that the kid was reckless and quick to act.

* * *

It had been snowing on that cold, December day. They were after the snow alchemist, Jack Grace. He had murdered two military members after they tried to take his license for failing his yearly exam. 

Roy would never forget the feeling of running down the street with Ed just a bit behind him. They had just spotted Grace. The ice alchemist had run across the road when the traffic light was red. The traffic light turned green right at the moment they were going to cross the street. Roy had skidded to a halt, expecting Ed to as well.

Roy's heart stopped when he felt Edward run past him. He had opened his mouth to yell at his subordinate to slow down and call for back up and get him some other time. The words never made it at his mouth. Before Ed reached across the street, a car came speeding down the street.

Roy froze like a deer in headlights. He couldn't move as he watched the car plow into Edward, unaware that a car was coming as he ran. He watched in horror as Edward's head cracked onto the concrete.

Roy didn't know how he got over to Ed. All he knew was that in the next second, Edward was in his arms. He would never forget looking down into beautiful golden eyes, half-lidded. He didn't remember what happened next. All he remembered was somehow getting to the hospital and sitting beside the young blond's bed with Al beside him.

His injuries had consisted of a moderate concussion, a broken right leg, and bruised ribs. It wouldn't be until the next morning that Ed would wake up. He had stayed by his subordinate all night; he had told himself then that it was to reprimand him when he woke up. He hadn't wanted to admit the real reason to himself. He cared for the kid—a lot. 

So that was why when Ed woke up, breathing heavy and gaze unsteady, he yelled at the young teen for a while. Edward never met his gaze; all he did was look at Alphonse the entire time. Roy remembers that he had left the room to make a call, and when he came back, he stopped outside the room. Ed was crying. He remembers just how his heart broke as he saw Ed burying his face on Al's chest plate.

_ "Brother, it's ok. You're ok."  _ Al had whispered. He didn't remember quite precisely what Ed had said, but his crying decreased to sniffles. 

_ "I could have died, Al. God, I thought I was. One minute I was running across the street, and the next I was laying on the ground. I was in so much pain, but that didn't matter. All I could think of was that I would die and you would be left alone," _

_ "Brother, I know that you would never leave me. I would never let you. So don't worry. Now, you need to rest."  _ Al had walked out of the room after that, allowing Ed to rest. If he had seen Roy, he didn't say anything. 

Roy knew he probably shouldn't have listened in on the conversation, but he wondered why Ed was thinking of Al at the moment the car hit him. It was something he thought about quite often after Edward recovered, and he and Al would come into the office for Ed to receive his assignments.

Roy understood his intentions as he thought back on the aftermath of Edward getting hit by that car. He didn't want Al to have to go through a situation like that again. He didn't want to have to feel his heart clench tightly as he told Al that his brother was severely injured. 

He decided then in there that if Ed ended up hating him, he would accept it. He would take his hot-headed subordinate hating him for the rest of his life if it meant protecting him.

"Colonel?"

Roy suddenly remembered what Al had asked him.

"I don't mind him hating me for doing this. If that's what saves him from killing himself, then I'd do it again,"

In his peripheral vision, he saw the rest of his team nodding in agreement.

"I trust you, Colonel Mustang. I think you know what you're doing." Al was still concerned. He knew that Ed could never hate him. He just didn't want Ed to push him away.

"So it's all settled then. You all know your respective tasks. Falman and Hawkeye will accompany Alphonse back to his dorm room. The rest of you will prepare for tomorrow night. You're all dismissed." Mustang said.

Mustang looked approvingly around the room as everyone went to do their assigned tasks. Alphonse made his way to the door with Falman and Hawkeye but suddenly turned around. "Thank you, Colonel. It means a lot to me that you're trying to protect brother like this. I think that he'll appreciate what you're doing one day."

Roy doesn't know what to say to the kid. All he can do is give him a small smirk and nod his head. Alphonse leaves the room. Roy's smile drops from his face. It was time to prepare for the end of the plan.

* * *

"Why is this taking so long?" Ed grumbled, searching through the book he was reading. He had been at the library all afternoon. 

He hadn't expected there to be so many deaths to occur in central the last few months. By his calculations, whoever this Anamala guy had been close should have died in mid to late April. To be sure, he decided to check each record of death dating back to the beginning of the year.

He was currently in the section of the book that was March. His eyes lazily scanned the page past name after name. He scanned past a person with Anamala as their last name. Wait! His eyes quickly went back up to the title, and he took the report from the book.

* * *

**_ Name: Leiana Anamala _ **

**_ Date of birth: July 20th, 1901 _ **

**_ Date of Death: March 4th, 1911 (10 years old) _ **

**_ Home Address: 132 quarter Ln, 12th street  _ **

**_ Cause of Death: Blunt force trauma to the spine and back of the head. One leg and arm were severed and missing. The throat had been slit. _ **

**_ State of the crime scene: Victim was found in an Alley, outside of the nearby bar on 12th street. Her brother, Damien Anamala, was attempting to stop the bleeding, not realizing the victim had been dead for a day already. Police were called around 2:30 and arrived around 2:50. _ **

**_ Statement by Damien Anamala: Daughter had been missing for about a day and last seen walking to the school nearby. He realized she was missing when she wasn't home from school by 3:00 on March 3rd. She was discovered when Mr.Anamala was walking down an alley to get to the bar to ask anyone if they had found her. Upon being told no, he left the bar and discovered her body nearly under the dumpster.  _ **

* * *

Ed grinned to himself. He finally had a name, Damien Anamala. A frown came to his face when he realized something.  _ 'If Leiana died in March, then why did the killings only start in May?'  _ That was what interested Ed the most about the situation. Then he began to think even more.

_ 'Her wounds are the same as what has been happening to the people that have been found. Is it possible he killed her, or is he copying the person that did kill her? It still doesn't answer the question of why the killings are centered around a rich neighborhood. Nothing is mentioned about if the Anamala's are rich or poor.' _

The more Ed was learning, the more he was confused.  _ 'I can look into it more in the morning. Right now, I should probably go back to the dorms.'  _ Ed folded the record and stuffed it into his coat. He placed the book back on the shelf and put his jacket back on.

Ed shivered as the cold air of Central hit him in full force. He quickly looked down at his watch. It was 2 AM.  _ 'Al is gonna kill me.'  _ He usually didn't stay out this late at the library. He took a detour down an alley when he got close to the barracks. He was deep in thought about the whole situation. This was one of the most confusing situations he had worked on.

Suddenly, he tripped on something. His head collided with the pavement. Black spots danced in his eyes.

Ed squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the aching to stop and the dots to go away.  _ 'What did I trip on?' _

He slowly managed to get his arms under himself and into a sitting position and stood up. He turned around, and his heart stopped.

_ Blood. _

Then he realized it was coming from someone. His breath caught in his throat. It was a woman. Her eyes were gouged out, her throat had been cut, and her arms and legs were missing.

Ed didn't realize he couldn't breathe until his knees had buckled.  _ 'Can't breathe. Why can't why I breathe?'  _ Then he felt something wet. Why was he wet? He looked down. He was covered in blood,  _ her blood.  _ His breathing grew heavier and more strained. 

He panicked. His chest was heaving, but nothing was coming in.  _ 'Breathe. You need to breathe, Ed.'  _ Why couldn't he take a breath? 

He screamed as loud as he could with his ragged breathing. He was going to suffocate. No air was coming to him as his panicking worsened. No longer able to hold himself up, Ed crumpled onto his side. Darkness dragged him into a black abyss, and he knew no more.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! If you like to request a fan fic or just want to talk: Instagram: @extrawestallen, twitter: @wests_barry, and Tumblr: @thewestallen lover**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed it! Until next time!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry that it took me a bit getting this up. This chapter was a little hard to write. I feel good about how it came out. I was having a small crisis last night about perspective changes and if they made sense. I like what I did so hopefully it won't take you out of it. I really appreciate the kudos. Feel free to leave a comment. I'd like to know what y'all think of the story so far! Enjoy!

A faint scream filled the still Autumn night. Havoc’s head jerked up. He turned to look at Breda, who was looking right back at him. They were the only two guarding the windows of the Elric’s dorm at the moment. 

Major Armstrong had gone to take a break ten minutes ago. _ ’ What could that have been?’  _ To Havoc’s knowledge, the only creature that did sound like that were humans. Coyotes were a close second but, Central was too populated to be inhabited by coyotes.

“What was that?” Breda glanced around the mass of trees surrounding them. “Sounded like a human’s scream,” an anxious feeling built up in Havoc’s chest. The scream was high-pitched, and it sounded like it came from west of them. 

“Should we get the others and check it out,” Turns out they didn’t have to. Seconds later, footsteps were heard. Falman, Hawkeye, and Alphonse appeared before them.

“Did the three of you hear that scream?” Hawkeye nodded. Havoc glanced at Al, who was looking around, waves of anxiousness coming off of him. ‘You ok, kid?” Alphonse quickly looks at them. “I’m worried about brother; he hasn’t come yet. I thought he’d be back from the library by now. That’s usually where he goes to think,” 

Worry flooded the faces of the others. Hawkeye turned to Al. “I’m calling the colonel. This may not be connected to the serial killer, but I want to be safe in case it is.” Hawkeye disappears around the corner of the building. She returns a few minutes later with her face once again an expressionless mask.

“The colonel said that he’d be here in five minutes. He wants us to stay put until he gets here.” Havoc pulls out a cigarette and lights it. One could cut the tenseness with a knife. Havoc thought he would suffocate in it. 

* * *

The Colonel got to the barracks within five minutes, exactly as he promised. His dark eyes scanned the group as he took in each of them. Then he turned to look at Havoc and Breda. 

“First, we need to find Fullmetal. Then, we can worry about the scream. I don’t want him alone,” Mustang took charge, and they started in the direction of the library. The library wasn’t but a few blocks away from the barracks. 

Hawkeye walked beside the Colonel, glancing at him from time to time. She knew how much he cared for Ed; even he didn’t want to admit it to himself. She knew how far he would go to protect his subordinate, who may or may not be like a son to him.

The sound of their footsteps was the only thing heard on the quiet street. Suddenly, a screamed fill the night air. Mustang’s head jolted up and toward the sound, dread filling him. “That didn’t sound like a woman.” Alarm filled him. It had sounded like a male scream. “What ifー” Mustang didn’t listen to the rest of Havoc’s question. He took off, headed to where it sounded like the scream had come from.

“Colonel! Wait for us!” Breda yelled. They tore down the sidewalk, trying to keep up with him. As Mustang ran, the sharp tang of blood hit his nose. He skidded to a halt.

He pulled his gun from his holster and nodded to Hawkeye as she came to his side. “Is it coming from the alley in front of us?” He whispered.

She nodded, drawing her gun and motioned for him to follow her.

Mustang didn’t know what he expected to see in the alley as he and Hawkeye turned the corner. What he saw nearly made him vomit. A woman, lying on her back with no arms or legs and her eyes gone.

Roy froze. Hawkeye gasped. He spun to see what she was looking at. He didn’t know how he missed seeing the small red bundle a few feet away from the corpse, uneven breaths coming entirely too quickly.

“Fullmetal!” Mustang yelled. He quickly knelt by the boy, drawing him into his arms.

The boy was shuddering and gasping hard for breath. “Move over a little,” He didn’t register that it was Havoc speaking until Havoc was trying to lay Ed flat on the ground.

He looked up and saw Hawkeye and the others calling for an ambulance to take to morgue and Edward to the hospital.

Havoc pressed two fingers under Ed’s jaw, then on his wrist.

“His heartbeat is way too fast; I think he’s having a panic attack, probably why he’s unconscious. He most likely couldn’t calm himself down after he saw her. Havoc motioned to the dead woman.

Mustang cringed, he had had panic attacks before. They would leave him shaking for hours after. When he had one, it was either Riza or Maes who would help him through it. It looked like the kid wasn’t any different from him.

Mustang looked up to Ed’s face. It was pinched with pain, and his mouth was open, searching for air that wouldn’t come. His eyes trailed up to the bleeding gash on his forehead. He glanced at Havoc, who was looking at the wound.

“Gonna need a few stitches,” Havoc gently took hold of Ed’s face, feeling for anything broken. “Nothing broken. My theory is that he tripped over and hit his head on the concrete.”

“Is he alright?” Alphonse hurried over.

He carefully brushed Ed’s bangs from his face. Alphonse noted just how small his brother looked as he laid unconscious on the ground. He prayed that his brother would be alright as Havoc checked him over. 

Havoc carefully opened Ed’s eyes, staring into unseeing golden eyes.

“Pupils are a little dilated, but that’s to be expected with a minor concussion,” Havoc frowns, and his blue eyes stared down at Ed’s pinched expression and how he was still struggling to breathe.

“I’m going to wait for the medics to get here to take care of his breathing. I’m not sure how to calm his breathing down while he’s unconscious,” Alphonse rolled Ed onto his side, in hopes of helping Ed breathe easier.

Mustang stood, ignoring the pain in his back.

“Watch him in case he wakes up,” He places his hand on Ed’s forehead, then he stands up and makes his way to the corpse.

Bile rises in his throat as he kneels beside Hawkeye. He places his hand on her shoulder to steady himself and to make sure that she’s there with him. 

“I think that she died after her throat was cut. Thankfully, all these other wounds were after she died,” Mustang scoffed at that. It was sad that it was ‘thankful’ that she had died before her arms, legs, and eyes had been cut out.

Hawkeye picked up the hunting knife lying beside her. Carefully, Hawkeye shifted the clothing from the bloody wound on the woman’s chest. They gasped in horror at what was carved into her chest.

* * *

**_So you thought searching death records would reveal why I’m doing this? You’re sadly mistaken, boy. The next person I kill will be that little girly if you don’t meet me at 12:30 on the 12th and don’t stop looking._ **

* * *

Mustang’s blood froze. Fullmetal had discovered who the killer was? Was that what he had been doing at the library all day? The carvings still bled at a steady pace. A look of horror came to Mustang’s face, and he turned to Hawkeye, who shared his look. The carvings looked only minutes old. He turned his gaze to the darkness that hid the rest of the alley. If his hunch was right, the killer possibly had been hiding in the shadows as Ed walked through.

Hawkeye pulled a flashlight out of her holster, and he drew his gun. The light illuminated the darkness. Mustang’s pensive expression scanned the area as Hawkeye continued down the alley. Suddenly, something red met his peripheral vision. There!

“Lieutenant,” He called. She turned back to him and pointed the light where he motioned. 

A bloody pair of pants and a shirt met him as he got a closer look. The shirt, which has probably once been white, was now a deep crimson. The pants were not as bad, but still had quite a bit of blood on them. He turned back to Hawkeye.

“Did you also call for backup?” Her chocolate eyes flicked to the bloody clothes and then to him. She nodded. Mustang could tell that all of this was beginning to get to her. 

Hawkeye prodded through the clothes with her hunting knife. Mustang stood up to wait for the backup and the medics that would be arriving any minutes. 

_ ‘Our killer hasn’t left anything at the crime scenes before. What happened this time? Is it that he hadn’t expected Fullmetal to come this way, and he carved those words for when Fullmetal woke up?’  _ He shook his head.  _ ‘None of this makes sense. He’s so good at hiding. We need to catch the bastard, and soon.’  _

Mustang’s thoughts were broken by Hawkeye screaming his name. He spun around. Hawkeye’s usually passive face lit up with excitement. Why was she excited. He took off and skidded to a halt as he got back to her. She shined her flashlight a few feet beside the bloody clothes and the light reflected off a knife.

Wait, a knife! Their killer had never left a single weapon at the crime scene either! This was a breakthrough! Could Ed have spooked their killer a lot more than Mustang initially thought? “Don’t touch it. This could be evidence that can be used against our killer,” Hawkeye nodded to him. 

The medics and military backup came a few minutes later. Relief flooded him as he watched the medics finally get Ed’s breathing under control. “Poor kid, he must’ve been scared to death,” Al hummed in agreement. 

The medic grabbed the ambo bag and attached it to Edward’s face. The stretcher was pulled into the back of the ambulance, and the medic continued pumping air into Ed. “Is it alright if I do that?” Al glanced at the bag and then back to the medic. The medic nodded

“Is it alright if I ride along to the hospital?” The medic’s questioning gaze studied him for a moment before he nodded. Hawkeye saw as he climbed into the ambulance and made her way over. 

“Lieutenant, I’m going to the hospital to make sure he’s ok. Wrap up here for me. Have the team meet up at the hospital.” He gave her his orders.

She gave him a small smile and saluted. “Sir,” She made her back over to the corpse.

“Ready to go? One the medics asked. He nodded and made himself comfortable beside Al.

The ride to the hospital was a quiet one. It didn’t take too long to get there. Mustang was thankful that Ed didn’t wake up. He knew the kid would have been panicked. He inwardly cringed as he remembered waking up in an ambulance once and nearly scared the paramedic half to death. 

He breathed a sigh of relief when they got to the hospital. Edward was rushed into the emergency room. He and Alphonse began the agonizing wait in the waiting room.

* * *

Ed’s head ached.

He wasn’t sure why it ached.

He just knew that it did.

Something pinched in the crook of his arm. He shifted uncomfortably, face turning into the pillow to escape the discomfort. Someone touched his forehead, brushing gentle fingers through his hair.

Ed instinctively leaned into the hand, searching for comfort. His breathing increased when the hand suddenly went away. He yearned for it to return, to send him back into deep unconsciousness.

The hand reappeared as suddenly as it disappeared. His breathing slowed. The hand froze in his hair as a door opened. Ugh! Why couldn’t he get any peace in quiet? He was so tired.

“How is he?” The voice, Mustang. Ed inwardly groaned. Great, just his luck to be chewed out by the bastard just when he woke up. 

“I think he’s waking up,” A female voice, Hawkeye. “He’s been breathing heavily for the last few minutes.”

Why had he been unconscious in the first place? Ed searched his tired mind for a clue. Hadn’t he been walking back to the dorms from the library? Suddenly, it hit him.

_ Blood.  _

_ Gouged out eyes. _

_ Missing limbs. _

_ Unable to breathe, limbs curling in on themselves, darkness.  _

Ed’s eyes flew open, and he bolted upright, chest heaving. He had to tell them. Tell them he knew who the killer was, that this would be over soon. If only he could slow his breathing.

“Woah, kid,” Mustang put a hand on his shoulder. “You’re ok; you’re going to be ok.” He looked his superior in the eyes and was surprised to see genuine concern.

“W-Where am I?” Ed looked around the room, taking in the white walls and the smell of bleach.

“You’re in the hospital, Ed. We found you in an alley not too far away from the library.” Hawkeye’s gentle voice broke through to him.

“You were a little banged up, had to have a few stitches.” His breathing slowed as Hawkeye and Mustang talked to him. His hand trailed up to his forehead, feeling the bandages. So that was why it ached.

“Where’s Al?” He wanted to see his brother, wanted him not to worry too much. Mustang’s frown turned into a smirk.

“He’s trying to find a doctor. He heard you waking up.” Ed nodded, settling back against the pillows. The image of the girl came back to his mind. He shuddered.

“Are you alright?” Hawkeye’s face showed her concern. 

He nodded. “That girl…” Ed stopped, trying to find the best way to word his thoughts.

Mustang’s smirk slipped from his face. He nodded. “She was long dead when we got there,” He looked down at the bedsheets. He could have saved the woman if he’d only been a few minutes earlier.

“It’s not your fault. You didn’t kill her, our killer did.” Suddenly, he’s reminded of the identity of the killer.

Before he can say something to Mustang, Al and a doctor come into the room. “Brother, you’re awake!” His brother shouts. He smiles. His brother is safe; he can relax. 

“How are you feeling, Major Elric?” The doctor, a white-haired man with blue eyes and a kind face, asks.

“I’m feeling ok. My head aches a little,” He admits. The doctor chuckled and fished his stethoscope from out of his pocket. 

He shudders as it touches his skin. The doctor listens for a moment, then places it back in his pocket. He nods and takes down a few notes. The doctor looks back up at him with a smile on his face.

“You seem, alright. I think you’ll be fine to go in an hour or two.”

The doctor shook Ed’s hand and left the room. 

Mustang stood up and stretched. “I need to go back to HQ and give a report. You’re going back to HQ when you get out so we can get your statement.” 

Ed nodded. He was glad that he wouldn’t be here much longer. He remembered what he wanted to tell Mustang earlier.

“Wait! I just remembered what I was going to tell you earlier!”

Mustang turned back to him, a look of perplexion on his face.

“I think it would probably be best if you waited until we got to HQ where I can write down your report.”

He nodded. Mustang made his way past Al. Al sat down beside him.

“I’m glad you’re ok, brother. You scared me for a minute there.” Ed frowned. He hadn’t meant to lose consciousness in the first place. 

“Sorry, Al. I...saw her and then...I just couldn’t breathe. I was terrified, and I had just hit my head. I think I might’ve passed out either way.” Al nods. He hates that his brother is so understanding. Al should have been yelling at him right now.

“Its ok, brother. Now, I want you to rest for a while.” He rolled his eyes.

“I’m not tired, though!” He whined.

Al let out a metallic sigh. “Just try, brother,”

He rolled his eyes again and nestled into the warm sheets. Exhaustion pulled at his eyelids. He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder as exhaustion made way to sleep.

* * *

Mustang groaned softly as he fell into his seat. Finally! A moment to relax. “Boss!” Or not. He groaned as Havoc entered the room. His face was one of concern. “Was the chief ok?” Havoc asked quickly. Mustang nodded. Why did Havoc look so anxious?

“I don’t think the propofol should be part of the plan anymore, sir.”

Mustang’s head tilted. “Why is that lieutenant?” Mustang was curious and a little annoyed. If propofol wouldn’t work, then what would? 

“I read that propofol can have adverse effects when used on a person with a minor head injury.” Mustang nodded, that made sense.

He was curious as to why Havoc didn’t just ask if the plan had changed. It hadn’t, of course, his youngest subordinate wouldn’t let a minor concussion get in the way of protecting others. It looked as if that his other subordinates knew that as well.

“What will you be changing it with?” Havoc’s face relaxed, he must’ve been worried that he might not have been all that concerned.

Havoc pulled out a vial of liquid. “Ketamine. A regular dose of knocks a grown man out within two minutes,”

Mustang frowned. Keeping Ed controlled for two minutes would be hard. The kid was a skilled fighter and would know how to get himself out a tight situation. It would probably take every member of his team to hold him down to do the trick.

“There is a downside to this drug, though, it can cause hallucinations when the person is waking up. So someone may need to be with him when he’s waking up.”

Mustang nodded. He could probably get Al to do that and calm the kid down. The kid would probably angry once he fully woke up. He’d have to deal with that, hopefully without Ed killing him. 

“I can get Alphonse to sit with him once he’s woken up. He’s dealt with Fullmetal’s nightmares before, I presume.” Havoc nodded, relieved.

“Thank you, colonel.” Mustang waved him off and started on his report of the events that had occurred.

“Another thing, colonel.” Mustang looked back up, annoyance flashing in his dark eyes.

“Will we be meeting the killer instead of Ed?” Mustang nodded; that was the plan. He hoped that their killer wasn’t smart enough to know what their plan was. He had ways of getting information. Which, to Mustang, was unsettling.

Havoc smiled and left the room. Mustang looked at the time on his pocket watch, 10 AM. Ed would probably be allowed to go around 3:30; he would probably arrive around 4. Depending on how long Ed’s report took, it would most likely be about 6. From then, it would be six hours until Ed had to meet their serial killer. Mustang groaned, massaging his temples.

He could keep Ed at HQ longer than necessary, or let the kid go back to the dorms. The second option would work for them better. It would take convincing, though. Either way, a decision was going to have to be made, and it would have to occur quickly. This was going to be the longest day.

* * *

The sharp ringing of a phone fills the quietness of the small house. Its only two inhabitants, an elderly mechanic and her young granddaughter. The granddaughter groaned and pulled her pillow over her head, trying to drown the sound out.

She heard her grandmother pick up the phone downstairs; she sighed in relief.

Only to groan a few minutes later when her grandmother yelled up the steps. “Winry! It’s from central! Something about Ed!” Winry bolted up and jumped out of bed. She groaned. What had that idiot done to his automail this time?

Winry yawned, and she walked down the steps. Her granny rolled her eyes as she came into view. She handed her the phone and stepped out.

“Hello, may I ask who I am speaking to?”

“Ah, Miss Rockbell, I’m calling on behalf of colonel Mustang for Major Elric.”

“What has he gotten himself into this time?” Winry growled.

The man chuckled on the other end of the line; it sounded gravely and rough.

“Nothing too bad, Miss. His automail got a little banged up from a recent drug bust in central. He’s doing fine. The colonel wanted me to call because he wouldn’t.” Winry rolled her eyes, of course, Ed was the type to put anything off automail wise so he wouldn’t get a wrench to the head.

“Of course. I’ll leave shortly. It shouldn’t take me but a few hours to get there. Thank you for calling me.” 

“Of course, Miss Rockbell. I’ll arrange for someone to pick you up.”

“May I ask who I’m talking to so I can that the colonel?”

“First Lieutenant Damien Anamala. You have a good day Miss.”

“You too.” 

She hung up the phone and went to pack her things. She really couldn’t wait to see her idiot again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed it! If you'd like to talk or request something, my Instagram is @extrawestallen, my twitter @wests_barry, and my Tumblr @thewestallenlover! Hope y'all have a good day!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all! Thank you so much for supporting this fic! I really appreciate it! Tell me what you're really liking! I'd love to know what y'all think might happen! This chapter I feel is mainly a filler chapter but I got a little carried away and this chapter is over 4000 words. I wanted to slow down on the plot a little bit. I supplied some good Edwin this chapter if that's your thing! Enjoy!

Ed winces as he pulls a black tank top over his head. His whole body ached as he pulled the rest of his clothes on. Apparently, suffering a panic attack that made you pass out would exhaust his body without him realizing it. He grunted once more as he pulled on his red coat.

“You alright, Brother?” Al asked worriedly

“Of course. Now, let’s blow this place.”

Al lets out a small metallic chuckle in amusement. Ed smirked. He loved it when his brother laughed. It was something that was few and far between these days. He pushes down the old ache of guilt trying to rear its ugly head. He couldn’t deal with that right now.

They walked along the front steps to where lieutenant Breda was waiting. 

“How’re you feeling, big guy?” The lieutenant’s smirk was one of concern and humor

“I’m fine,” that was a lie. Ed’s body ached as he had been making way to the car. He had hoped Al hadn’t noticed.

“That’s good.” Breda opened the door. Apparently, Al had noticed that Ed had been aching because he didn’t let him get in the car himself.

When he got comfortable, Ed rolled his eyes. His younger brother was way too overprotective. 

He leans his head against the window, watching the scenery go by. He could hear Breda and Al talking in the back of his mind. He’s too focused on what he’s going to have to tell the colonel. The memory of that woman’s eyeless face scares him when he thinks back on it. 

Ed was very used to blood. He had gotten used to being injured on missions. He would always injure his opponents worse than he was. 

Usually, when he was finished with them, they’d be bleeding from multiple nonlife-threatening. He would have wounds of different sizes. He could handle the blood from wounds and fights well.

After these fights, Al patched him up if they were minor. If he had been severely wounded, then he would have been forced into the hospital and released when he had recovered. 

This situation was so incredibly different from the ones he was used to facing. 

On missions, he had come to accept that innocent people would die. After all, he couldn’t save everyone. He would allow grief to come for him and he would silently mourn those he wasn’t able saved. 

It wouldn’t take him long to move past the grief. He knew that those people weren’t killed because of him, but because of a psychotic alchemist who thought they could get away with their experiments.

The grief hits him hard as he thinks of that woman. He finds himself forcing back hot tears as he rests his head on the window. She could have been a daughter, wife, or friend.

Nobody would ever see her again because of _him._ He was a failure. 

He’d always been a failure. Since the very first day he committed Human Transmutation. It had been three years since then. Three years his brother had been trapped in that miserable metal shell. Three years of failed promises to return his body back to normal. 

Months of women being killed. Months of families learning that their daughters were killed so horribly that an open casket was out of the question.

Ed choked back the wailing sob that was trying to make its way up his throat. How was he going to keep his composure when talking to Mustang? He’s barely composed as it was thinking about the woman. 

He takes a shaky breath and steels himself for what is about to come. 

* * *

Havoc stood up from his chair and stretched his hands above his head. He looks down at his watch, 3:00. 

‘ _About an hour until the chief gets here’._ Havoc glances at the door to Mustang’s inner office. 

The man was trying to get some paperwork done before he had to take down Ed’s report of events. 

He’s jolted out his thoughts by a sharp knock on the door. The timid secretary comes in and looks around the room. She puts one foot forward before she jolts to a stop. She looks at him and stares for a second. 

“Are you looking for someone?” 

The secretary jumped. “S-Sorry. A man brought this by earlier and said to give this to you, Lieutenant Havoc.” She held out a small piece of paper.

Havoc took the piece of paper from the secretary. He gave her his thanks and returned to his seat to read it. His eyebrows rose a little as he read it. Well, this was certainly interesting. 

* * *

**3:15**

**Train station**

**Winry Rockbell. Don’t. Be. Late**

* * *

Havoc was confused. Why was Winry Rockbell coming to Central? Had Ed called her? Nothing seemed to be wrong with his automail. 

He was curious, to say the least. He glanced down at his wristwatch. It was nearly that time. Better get there before Miss Rockbell wondered where he was.

Havoc knocked on the colonel’s door. He was going to tell him where he was going and to see if Mustang knew anything about Winry Rockbell.

“Come in,” Mustang’s muffled voice replied. Havoc stepped into the doorway.

“Just going to pick up Miss Rockbell, sir. Her train arrives in a few minutes.”

“Miss Rockbell?” Mustang frowned. Ed hadn’t mentioned calling his mechanic and telling her to come to Central.

“Yeah. I got a note from the receptionist.” Havoc handed Mustang the small piece of paper.

Mustang read it. He glanced up at Havoc then back down at the note.

“Ed never said he was going to call his Mechanic when I left the hospital.” He tells the lieutenant.

Havoc nods. “Any chance its a mistake, sir?” 

Mustang shakes his head. “I don’t think it is.”

“Just go ahead and pick her up. I’ll ask what happened when she gets here.”

Havoc nodded. He closed the door behind him on the way out. 

Mustang massaged his forehead. Things were getting really weird. First last night’s accident, then Miss Rockbell. None of this could be a coincidence, could it? He shakes his head. He had a feeling that this was all connected.

* * *

Winry sighed in relief as she stepped off the train, her duffle bag over her shoulder. Who knew that there were trains that could get to Central within a few hours. Her blue eyes scanned the crowd of people, searching for one of the Colonel’s men.

She smiled as she saw Lieutenant Havoc making his way over to her. He smiled when he got up to her. 

“It’s good to see you again, Miss Rockbell.” He took her bag for her.

“You too.” They walked to the car and she smiled when he opened the door for her.

He had been driving for a few minutes when Winry breaks the silence.

“So, what’s Ed been up to that caused him to break his automail yet again?

That catches Havoc off guard. That didn’t make sense. Ed hadn’t broken his automail. It wasn’t destroyed or banged up from last night’s events. So who told her that it needed to be fixed?

Havoc realizes that he’s been silent for too long when she calls his name.

“I don’t know all of the details myself. I’m sure the colonel will be able to fill you in. I wasn’t on the mission Ed was on.” He sees her expression turn to annoyance before she looks at the window. 

They’re almost at HQ when Havoc finally decides to ask who called her and told her that Ed broke his automail.

“Hey, so who called and told you that Ed broke his automail?” 

“Oh, it was someone called Lieutenant Damian Anamala.” Now Havoc is very confused. There was nobody with that name under Mustang’s command. 

“Don’t think I’ve heard of them.” He tells her.

Winry’s eyes narrow. “That’s who he told me he was when he called.” 

Havoc doesn’t say anything else. He decides he can say something about it to the colonel when they get to HQ. 

* * *

Ed is jolted out of his thoughts by a tap on his flesh shoulder. He turns his head. Breda has opened the door for him and is waiting for him to get out. He mutters a quick ‘sorry’ and gets out. 

His aching body screams at him as he walks up the stairs to Mustang’s office. 

“Do you need me to carry you, brother?” Al’s concerned eyes are on him.

“No, Al. I’m fine.” He pants. He definitely was not fine. 

He sees Breda give him a look of concern from the corner of his eye. Why can’t everyone stop worrying about him? He was not a fragile person! He was the youngest state alchemist in existence. He could take a little panic attack and concussion!

He was very out of breath when they finally reached the floor Mustang’s office was on. Climbing the stairs had only intensified the aching in his body. He bent his knees a little as he tried to calm down his panting, both Al and Breda watching him.

He hates this, absolutely hates it. Neither of them should see him this weak. 

“You need a minute?” Breda asks.

He shakes his head and stands up from his bent position. He needed to get himself together. It wouldn’t do his reputation any good if someone knew that he was sore. They walk down the hallway and finally get to Mustang’s office.

Breda opens up the door and he nearly chokes at what he sees. Sitting at Mustang’s desk was his crush, Winry Rockbell. 

Winry turns around when she sees Mustang staring past her. Her face lights up when she sees him.

“Winry, what are you doing here!” He yells. 

He ignores Mustang’s chuckle. He winces when he sees Winry’s face turn to anger.

Somehow her wrench materializes into her hand.

“Thanks for being happy to see me, Ed.” Her voice fills with annoyance.

She looks him up and down and her blushes. Her face turns into confusion when she looks down at his automail.

“You’re...automail. It isn’t broken.” She holds his automail arm in her grasp, looking it over. 

Ed’s brow furrows in confusion. Why would his automail be broken? He hadn’t banged it up last night that he knew of. Wait. Why did Winry come to Central the day after the accident?

“Why would my automail be broken, Winry?”

Her faces turns to annoyance once again. “Like I told the Colonel, someone called me and told me you broke your automail. I’m not making this up.”

Winry looks up at his forehead and her eyebrows furrow. “What happened to your head.” 

“Mustang and I were getting ready to talk about that. I had a small incident last night and got a concussion.”

Winry’s face turns to worry. “You’re ok though, right?” She takes his face in her hands and looks at the small, stitched wound. Ed pulls back in embarrassment and hopes he isn’t blushing.

“Of course I’m ok. It doesn’t even hurt.”

Winry rolls her eyes like she doesn’t believe him.

“Fullmetal, I think its time we get started on your report.” Mustang beckoned to him. 

“I’m coming.” He rolled his eyes. Winry punched him softly in the shoulder.

He shot her a playful dirty look and went after Mustang.

All of Mustang’s men and Al laughed together. Those two were so oblivious. 

Mustang pulls out a piece of paper as Ed sits down on the couch in Mustang’s office.

“So, what were you doing in the library?” Mustang asks. 

“I had gone to follow up on a theory I had on who the killer might have been.” Mustang writes that down and looks back up.

“What was your lead?” 

Ed takes a moment to think about all he had found.

“I used a map and tracked the area where the victims were found. I found the murders centered around the rich part of town. I was wondering why one of the rich elite would want to kill someone but then I got the idea to search for anyone that died with the last name on the letter we got,”

Mustang nodded for him to continue.

“I found a name with someone with that last name. Her name was Leiana Anamala. She was found in an alley outside of a bar. Her father, Damian Anamala was the first to find her. I then checked and looked to see when the first killings began. Leiana was murdered in March, but the killings began in May. I was confused, so I was going to go back to the dorms when I tripped over the body-”

Ed was startled to see how Mustang went rigid as he gave his report. 

“Mustang, what’s wrong? Ed had never seen Mustang do this when he usually gave his reports.

Mustang stood up and flung the door open, startling everyone in the office.

“Miss Rockbell, you said that the name of the person who called you was called Damian Anamala?” Roy asked quickly.

Ed froze. Suddenly everything made sense.

Their killer was Damian Anamala. He had warned him in the letter that he knew about Winry. Damian Anamala probably knew that he had been at the library last night. He had _called_ Winry.

He had found _Winry_. Beautiful Winry. The person that he had hoped one day hoped to be with, the girl who he had kissed only once before, the girl who had kissed him back and promised she’d wait for him.

Their killer had found the one person he cared about and wanted to be with and made a declaration that he would kill her if he stepped out of line. He felt his heart crack. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t handle her dying. It would break him. 

Winry was a light in his life. She made him smile, something that was very hard to do. She could go head to head in an argument. It was something he hated at first, but he grew to love. She was as hotheaded as he was. She was his match. Someone he just couldn’t live without.

Before he knows it, the world is blurring. He can’t breathe. Winry’s going to end up dead because of him. He feels a heavy hand on his shoulder. He can’t stay here anymore. He can’t let anyone see him like this. Hot tears fill his eyes as he runs from the room. Someone yells his name but he doesn’t slow down to see who it is.

* * *

Winry stares at the door Ed had run through. She turns to look at Mustang, who’s eyes are widened in horror. 

“What’s the significance of that name?” She demands. 

The shocked expression on Mustang’s face changes to an unidentifiable emotion.

“That’s the name of our serial killer.” That’s all Mustang has to say for Winry to be horrified and for her eyes to tear up. 

Al stands beside Winry and puts a hand on her shoulder.

“We’re not going to let anything happen to her. First, we need to go and find brother.”

Winry nods. “We'll bring him back once he’s calmed down.” She goes to leave the room, but the colonel stops her.

“I need to speak with Al actually, it’s in regard to a plan we have to stop Fullmetal from doing something stupid.” Winry nods. She looks at Al and can tell he’s a ball of anxiety. 

“He’ll be ok, Al. I can talk to him.” She reassures him. 

“Are you sure? It’s sometimes very hard to calm brother down.” 

“Yes, Al. I think I’ll be ok.” She gives him a reassuring smile. He gives her a slight nod and turns to the colonel.

She runs out of the room quickly. 

_‘Where would he go? He would hide in the bathroom at home.’_ Then it clicks in her head. He probably was hiding in the bathroom. 

Her hand freezes on the doorknob when she hears sobbing. Her heart cracked. Her sky blue eyes filled with tears, remembering the night where he had told her that he needed her, the first night he had kissed her.

* * *

_Winry walked quietly outside, a blanket around her. The cool night air chilled her skin. She loved cool nights like these. She sat down on the steps, listening to the crickets chirp. She had been sitting out there a few short minutes when she heard the door open behind her._

_She smiled as Ed came and sat down heavily beside her. Her smile wavered a little when she saw his face. He was pale and his face had a light sheen of sweat. He didn’t look ok. Ed let out a shaky breath and placed his face in his hands._

_She shifted to be closer beside him. She placed her hand on his shoulder, a way to show him that he was there for him. She felt him relax at her touch. Then all of a sudden, he sobbed._

_This was not the typical sob. It was a loud, heart - wrenching sound, only seeming to grow louder. Tears stung Winry’s eyes. She always hated watching him sob, he would only sob when everything got to him, when he was falling apart at the seams._

_A wailing scream ripped through his throat and he fell into her. She was paralyzed for a second, then her instincts kicked in. She wrapped her arms against him, burying her face in his golden hair. She cried with him. It hurt. It hurt to see him sob and scream his pains out._

_He was the strongest person she knew and even the strongest person could break. She didn’t know how long she held him for. It could have just been a few minutes or it could have been an hour or two. His sobs eventually subsided into hiccuping._

_She felt him shift to where his face was pressed into her neck. She smiled sadly. It was something she vaguely remembered him doing when he was seven and he had broken his wrist. He didn’t shift for a while and she began to think that he had succumbed to exhaustion and fallen asleep._

_She moved a little and he immediately wrapped his arms around her waist. She got the message. He didn’t want her to move. So they sat like that. Winry didn’t know for how long. Finally, Ed lifted his head and stared at her with swollen, golden eyes._

_“Do you want to talk about it?” She asked softly. He shook his head at first but then he nodded. She waited for him to start whenever he wanted to._

_“I watched you die.” She looked at him in confusion._

_“In my dream, I watched you die.” He didn’t look at, just at his hands._

_“There was an alchemist holding you hostage. He wanted me to give myself up. Told me that he wouldn’t hurt you if I did. I believed him,”_

_He swallowed hard before continuing._

_I walked over to him slowly and detached my right arm as he wanted. I told him to let you go. That I had done what he wanted. All he did was smile and slit your throat.”_

_His voice broke as he finished telling her. She pressed herself against him._

_“I’m not going anywhere. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”_

_“I hope you wouldn’t. I’m nothing without you.” He ducked his head_

_He looked at her, eyes softening. Her blue eyes looked into his. Ed saw many different emotions as he stared into beautiful blue eyes._

_Something caught in his chest. He didn’t know what it was. Was it love? Maybe. He didn’t know. All he could do was stare at blue eyes filled with unshed tears. She was beautiful with the way she looked against the barely rising sun. He leaned forward._

_And kissed her._

_He kissed her softly. He pulled back when she didn’t move. He felt guilty._

_He glanced down at his lap and avoided her eyes._

_Ed jumped in surprise a little when she took his chin in her hands and made him look at her. She studied his face for a second and then she kissed him back._

_He was kissing Winry Rockbell and she was kissing him back._

_Ed let out a small laugh when they parted, resting his forehead against hers._

_He wanted to spend the rest of his life like this._

_“I’m willing to wait for you.” He glanced up at Winry in shock._

_Winry was willing to wait for him? Someone broken beyond repair? She wanted to be with someone who had never stopped screwing up? It was unbelievable. Tears welled in his eyes again._

_Winry Rockbell was willing to look past his flaws and wanted to be with him. He didn’t know what to say, so he kissed her again._

_They stayed out there, holding hands and sneaking kisses until the sun had risen._

* * *

Winry breaks her thoughts from the memory. He needed her now, just like he needed her then. She opened the door and walked inside. Her heart nearly broke when she saw him huddled in the corner, head in his knees.

His crying quieted down when he realized that someone had just entered the bathroom. He looked up slowly to see who it was. Her heart fell as she saw his face crumble, but thankfully he didn’t start crying again.

He moved over for her, a silent gesture that meant he wanted her there. She silently sat down beside him, taking his flesh hand. She squeezed it. He squeezed back. He leaned his head on her shoulder. Winry could feel him trembling. Ed was so upset.

After a few minutes, Winry finally worked up the courage to talk about why he was so upset.

“Are you ok?” He shakes his head. 

It’s fine if he doesn’t want to talk about it, she’ll stay with him as long as she has to.

“All these murders are because of me.” He finally says. Winry’s confused, why would they be because of him?

She shook her head. “No, they aren’t. There because of some sick and disillusioned person. This isn’t your fault.”

Ed released a dry laugh. “The guy wrote me a letter and told me that he hoped that he finally got my attention, Winry. All these murders _were because of me_.”

Winry didn’t know how to respond to that. She knew that he was never going to not blame herself. Then she wondered why he froze when she said that the man who had called her was the killer.

“Ed, why did you freeze when I told the colonel the name of the person who called me. What was in that letter?”

She didn’t expect him to answer her but was surprised when he did.

“In the letter, he told me that if I didn’t meet him tonight by 12:30 then he would kill you. He knew about you, Winry. I don’t know how, but he did,”

Winry’s eyes widen. How would this killer know anything about her? That didn’t make any sense.

“I decided after I read the letter that I was going to stop him. Last night I went to the library and did some research. I found his name, but I couldn’t figure out if that was the right person because there was something about the motive that didn’t add up,”

Ed swallowed hard and paused for a second before continuing.

“W-When I was leaving…” He had to stop himself. Emotion was choking him.

“When I was leaving, I walked down an alleyway to get back to the dorms. I wasn’t paying attention and I tripped on something. I hit my head. That’s how I got this,” He motioned to the bandage on his forehead.

“I don’t think I lost consciousness, but my head was killing me. I was able to sit up and that was when I saw _her.”_

Winry’s heart ached when she saw tears well up in his golden eyes. 

“Her arms and legs had been cut off, her throat had been slit, and her eyes had been gouged out.” Winry didn’t know how Ed was speaking because he was crying so hard. 

She wrapped her arms around him and he trembled against her. 

“I couldn’t breathe when I saw her. It got so hard to breathe. I tried, I really did. I just couldn’t get my body to work. I passed out. I think Mustang and the team got there sometime later and got me to the hospital.” He finished.

“Oh, Ed.” She whispered. She buried her face in his hair and just held him. 

“He knows about you, Win. He knows who you are to me.” His face is buried in her neck as he speaks.

“Edward, look at me.” She tells him. His golden eyes stare at her softly and she smiles at him sadly.

“Nobody is going to touch me, Ed. You wouldn’t let them. I also know that you’re going to catch this guy before he hurts anyone else.”

“What if I can’t? What if I’m not capable enough for this? I’m only fourteen, Win.” 

“Edward Elric has that ever stopped you before? You became the strongest state alchemist at 12! You essentially became the hero of the people overnight! You can do this Ed, I believe in you.”

Ed wiped his face and then gave her a small smile.

“How can you believe in me like this? I’ve screwed up so many things in my life,” His eyes shined with emotion only for her to see.

“I don’t deserve you caring about me at all.”

She took his face in her hands. “I told you that I was going to wait for you, Ed. That includes me being there when you need it.” She said softly.

He ducked his hand. His mouth quirked up in a small smile.

“What would I be without your support?” He asked.

Winry laughed. “I don’t know, but you’ll never have to find out.”

Then she leaned forward and kissed him.

* * *

**If you'd like to request a fan fic or just talk, follow me on twitter @wests_barry, Instagram @extrawestallen, and Tumblr @alchemicwestallen**


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I hope y'all are enjoying this fic so far! I really appreciate the comments and kudos! I'd really enjoy hearing what you think about it! Also, I hope you're enjoying the Edwin content. Tell me what you think about them. Little concerned I'm overloading on them. Leave reviews and tell me what you think. I look forward to learning what y'all think of this fic! Thanks!

Ed didn’t know how long they sat there. He just knew that Winry was right, he could do this. He could stop this Damian Anamala before he killed anyone else. If Winry and Al were safe with Mustang and the team then nothing bad could happen to them. He’d make sure of it. He decided it was finally time to go and talk to the team and figure out a way to stop this guy.

He stood up, his back screaming from the uncomfortable position. Ed held out his hand and helped Winry stand up. She stretched and smiled at him. 

“Are you feeling better now?” 

“Yeah. You helped me see that I can do this and I believe you.”

Winry smiled at him and punched him softly in the arm. Ed smiled and pulled her into a hug, burying his face into her blonde hair. 

“Thank you.” He whispers. Winry smiles. He pulls back but kisses her softly. He goes to the sink and splashes water in his face before he opens the door. 

“Y’ know one day we’re going to have to stop sneaking kisses in private.”

Ed rolls his eyes at the smile in her voice.

“Well, I’m waiting for that day to come.” He smiles and reaches behind him to squeeze her hand. 

Everyone stares as he and Winry walk back into the room. The team all turn their attention to him as he walks in.

“You ok, Ed?” Al asks, placing a metal hand on his shoulder.

He nods. “Just had to take a minute.” 

He missed the look Mustang gave Hawkeye as Ed settled down on one of the couches, Winry beside him.

“I can continue now. I’ve calmed down. Don’t think I was gone, I hope.” He smirked at Mustang.

Mustang rolls his eyes and smirks himself. “No, Fullmetal. You weren’t gone that long. We were just discussing how we could possibly catch this Damian Anamala.”

Ed hopes his face doesn’t show the annoyance he’s feeling. He hopes that they remember that Damian Anamala only wants _him_ and nobody else. An unsettling thought occurs for a second.

_‘Are they planning to come with me when I go and meet him?’_

Ed lingers for a second on that thought. He hopes that they won’t try to come with him. He doesn’t want to be responsible for anyone else getting hurt if things turn violent. He ends the thought before he gets carried away. He’s worrying too much. They have to know he’s the only one who can handle their killer, right? Well, he sure hopes they know. 

“This Anamala guy is confusing. It’s like he has no motive, or maybe he has one but we’re having a hard time figuring out.” 

Suddenly, Ed remembers. This Anamala did have a motive! It didn’t occur to him at the time but it made a lot of sense right now.

“Wait! I think I might’ve figured out the motive!” He gasped out.

It all made sense once he thought about it. The murders beginning in May when his daughter had been murdered in March. It could have been very well possible that he himself had tried to bring back his daughter. That part would’ve made sense, but depending on what was given up, wouldn’t it have taken him much longer to recover.

“Could it be possible that our killer tried to bring back his daughter through Human Transmutation and that’s the reason why the first murders were delayed?” Ed asked in anticipation.

Mustang was silent for a moment as he thought about the possibility.

“It’s certainly possible, but that’s only a theory for now.” Al turned to look at him, a thought occurring to him.

“What is the possibility that he is using them to bring her back. They lose maybe an arm, leg, something of the sort. He doesn’t want them telling anyone that he committed the taboo, so he kills them by cutting off other body parts as well and slits their throats for good measure.”

“Again, that’s just an added on theory to what Fullmetal theorized. Maybe it’s just random that the murders started a month or two after his daughter was murdered.” Mustang said condescendingly.

“Then what do you think happened? You’re discrediting what both of us think, so what do you think?” Ed hisses.

Mustang smirks. Hawkeye rolls her eyes at him. She really didn’t get why he loved annoying Ed.

“I have no working theory at the moment. It would probably be best to wait and capture this guy before finding the motive.” 

Ed shakes his head in annoyance. He truly did not understand his idiot of a superior. Was he really the only one who really cared about this guy’s motive? He stifles a sigh, this was the exact reason he was going to find this guy himself and bring him in. 

“Colonel, that is a good theory though.” Havoc pipes up. He didn’t miss how the team seemed to be agreeing with him. Heck, maybe all the victims weren’t used in the transmutation, but it was the best guess they had at the moment. It seemed like the others agreed with him. 

Mustang’s normally passive face twisted into annoyance. “Fullmetal, please tell us about the limbs that are usually lost during Human Transmutations.” He barely kept the growl from his voice. 

Ed glared at Mustang and the man just smirked. He really hated this man sometimes. Ed huffed.

“Well, from when I researched, it varies from person to person what limb is lost. In my case, you know I lost my right arm and left leg. Al lost his body. From what I researched arms and legs are the most common price paid for performing the transmutation.”

Mustang turned to Hawkeye and she turned her attention to him. Lieutenant, do we have the autopsy reports for all of the victims.” Hawkeye nodded and went to the file cabinet and looked around.

Ed turned to look at Winry. “You see what I have to deal with now?” He whispered.

Winry rolled her eyes and stifled a laugh. She softly punched him in the shoulder and he smiled. If Al could smile devilishly he would. Did they really think that they were keeping their relationship secret? He was happy that his brother had someone could rely on other than him for once. 

Al’s thought is broken when Mustang sets down the thick book of the records of the murders. Ed leans in as Mustang flips through the pages, studying the wounds each woman had.

Each victim had at least one of their arms amputated. Some were missing an arm along with a leg. This partially proved his and Al’s theory about each victim having the same wounds. This didn’t prove that it was from the result of transmutation, though. The wounds could’ve come from their killer himself.

Mustang scowled down at the pictures of the victims. “It still doesn’t prove that these women actually prove that our killer used transmutation and these women lost limbs because of it.” 

Ed smirked. This was probably the only time where he would ever see Mustang this annoyed and stumped with a motive. 

“I guess we can wait until we catch the guy. The motive will probably become clearer once we catch the guy.” Ed says. He looks down at his watch. It’s 7:30. He’s surprised that he didn’t even notice that the sun had set.

Everyone falls into silence as they think about Damian Anamala, hoping that they’ll be able to catch him. After a while, Ed stands up and stretches. He’s ready to get out of here. He suddenly realizes that his favorite hilltop will have a cloudless view of the night sky. On clear nights one could see the stars perfectly. It would be the perfect place to go with Winry. She would love it. She had always loved the stars.

“I’m gonna go now, colonel. I need to catch up on a lead. I overheard someone talking about a possible philosopher’s stone.” He lies. 

He sees Mustang’s eyes narrow, but the colonel doesn’t mention how bad his lie sounds. Mustang nods to him, apparently not finding the lie worth mentioning. 

Winry stands and stretches her back out. “You coming, Al?” She asks. He jolts a little.

“Actually, Alphonse and I need to have a conversation with the others.”

Ed’s eyes narrow. Why did Mustang need to talk to Al? Multiple reasons flutter through his mind. None of them were good. 

Ed wasn’t as naive as his superior believed. He could easily tell that Al was in on what the colonel was planning. A slight flutter of annoyance flooded him. Did they really think that he was that stupid? He could be careful when he wanted to, which wasn’t often. Well, then again maybe the colonel really did think he was stupid. That would work in his favor.

_‘Let them try to stop me. I’m not letting them get in my way.’_

He knew that Al was probably just really worried about him. He did remember how yesterday he had left their dorm dejectedly. Al wouldn’t be able to create a detailed plan himself. Ed had a slight suspicion that Mustang had convinced Al to join his plan. A flutter of disgust floods him at the thought of Mustang trying to stop him.

Well, he couldn’t confront the man right now. The man might set his the plan in action the moment Ed mentioned anything. He’ll just have to be extra careful sneaking around to the street where he had to meet their killer.

“Ok Al. I’ll see you back at the dorms.” He opened the door for Winry. He glared one last time at the colonel, warning him to not get in his way. He didn’t see the colonel’s expression as he closed the door. He smiled and wrapped an arm around Winry.

“C’mon, I got a really cool place to show you.” 

Winry’s face lit up. He really loved that smile

* * *

Roy sighs as Ed closed the door. He turned to Al, his face his usual mask of passiveness. 

“Colonel, I think brother is beginning to figure out what’s going on.” Roy can sense the concern in Al’s voice.

None of the group missed how Ed’s eyes narrowed when Mustang asked Al to wait.

“I agree, colonel. The way he started talking like he was going to let us come along. He could tell something was up.” Breda says.

The rest of the team nods. Roy pinches the bridge of his nose. It was too late to back down from the plan now. 

“We don’t have the time to change the plan. Plus, I doubt he knows the extent we’ve planned it.” Roy turns to Havoc.

“Do you have the ketamine?” Havoc nodded. He had gone out to get it earlier from Dr.Knox. 

“I just hope Ed doesn’t put up a big fight.” Fuery worries.

Al lets out a metallic sigh. “I know brother. He’s going to fight hard. If he believes in something, then he’s going to follow through.”

Roy groans in response. Ed was going to be the death of him. It relieved him that the kid wasn’t up to full stamina and wouldn’t be able to fight for long. Maybe a few minutes at tops before they got him pinned down and the ketamine injected. 

Roy knew that what happened tonight could change his relationship with his subordinate forever. He’s already prepared himself for Ed hating him. He just hopes that one day the kid will understand and maybe everything would be able to be patched up.

* * *

Ed smiled as he looked down at his hand holding Winry’s. They were walking to Creshan Hill, a popular spot to watch the stars this time of year and the best place to see Central. It was breezy and he didn’t miss that Winry shivered a little.

He pulled his coat off and wrapped it around her shoulders before taking her hand again. She smiled at him. His breath caught in his throat, she was so beautiful in the moonlight. His heart swelled with happiness as he looked at her. Was it possible to feel this at peace? He hoped he would be able to feel like this all the time once he got Al’s body back.

“Are we almost there?” Winry groaned. “We’ve been walking for ages,” 

Ed smirked. He slightly tightened his hold on Winry’s hand. “Just a little further. We’re almost there.” He playfully rolled his eyes when Winry sighed.

It was just a few minutes later when they finally reached the top of the hill. Winry looked around, perplexed by where they were at. Her eyes lit up as she saw the view.

“Wow.” She breathed. The distant twinkling lights of Central were beautiful in the moonlit night. She turned to him, eyes shining.

“It’s so beautiful.” Ed nodded and smiled. 

“The sky looked like this the night we kissed for the first time.” 

“Really?” Winry stepped closer to him and hung her arms around his shoulders. He nodded. 

“The best decision I’ve easily ever made.”

Winry had to turn away for a second, tears burning her eyes. She was so happy with him. Winry had never considered herself to be beautiful. She found herself attractive, but not beautiful. When she looked at Ed, she saw his every emotion about her. He thought she was beautiful, smart, so very smart. 

“Winry, are you ok?” He gently touched her shoulder, turning her to him. He was surprised to see tears on her cheeks.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” He asked gently. He gently brushed the tears away from her face.

Winry shook her head and laughed through tears. “It makes me so happy that you want to be with me. I don’t know how or why you would want to.”

Ed laughs. Winry glares at him but smiles. He gently takes her face in his hands. 

“I want to because I love you.”

Ed’s breath caught in his throat. Had he really just said that? He licks his lips. He definitely meant it. He loved Winry Rockbell with everything he had in him. She was his dream girl, his everything. Ed would love her one way or another. 

Winry’s eyes filled with tears as she smiled.

“I love you, Ed.”

Ed’s smile widened. He had hoped Winry had felt the same way. He never did miss how she would make time for them to be together when he and Al did come home. He had only noticed the change in her expression as she looked at him a few weeks ago when he came home for automail work.

Ed leans in and rests his forehead against her’s. He breathes softly, their noses brushing. 

Winry makes the first move and kisses him. Ed’s eyes close and he reciprocates the kiss, his heart pounding. 

He pulls her closer to him, desperate to feel all of her. He feels something deep in his chest, a primal instinct. He wants her, wants her so badly. He wants all of her. His breathing picks up and so does hers. 

Before he knows what he’s doing, he’s pushing her to the ground, settling himself on top of her. Her legs are wrapping around his waist. He’s grabbing her hands and locking them in place behind her head.

He doesn’t know how long they kissed for when they finally stop.. Their hearts are pounding and their breathing is heavy. He’s leaning his head to rest against her’s. She caresses his face and leaves a soft kiss on his lips. If she had it her way, they’d stay here all night. He’s giving her that look again. The look where his golden eyes shine like stars for her. The look that made her insides melt.

He laughs breathlessly and moves to where he’s on his side, caressing her blonde hair. They don’t speak for several minutes as they watch each other. Then, she moves closer to him and buries her face in his chest. He smiles. He loves this, he loves them. He loves how he can open up emotionally around her.

Ed thought about how she had promised to wait for him. His heart ached at how long he would have to wait for her. He doesn’t know why she’s willing to wait for him. He can’t wait for her. He wants her to be his. He knows that she wants him to be hers. He knows what he has to do. He just hopes that she will agree.

“Win.” He looks down at her, nudging her a little.

“Hmm?” Her brow furrows and he knows she can sense his anxiety a little. 

She sits up a little to stare into his golden eyes. Her expression changes into concern.

“Are you ok?” She gently brushes her hands through his hair.

He nods, taking her hands in his. He takes a deep breath, preparing himself.

“I...I don’t want to wait for you. You don’t deserve that. I don’t know how long I’m going to be here for,”

Winry opens her mouth to protest. He knows what she must be thinking. That he was suggesting that they go their separate ways. He presses a finger against her lips.

“I want to move forward. I want you, Win. I want to be your partner,” He blushes and tightens his hold on her hand.

“I want to be in a relationship with you. I want you to be my girlfriend. I want to make it official. I don’t want to hide it anymore.” He looks down at his lap. Winry doesn’t make a sound. He feels her shift. He’s surprised when he feels her lift his chin to look him directly in the eyes.

He’s surprised by the emotions he sees in them. Determination, love, and one he doesn’t know if he can identify.

“Ed, are you sure? You’ve said it yourself, being a state alchemist is dangerous and you make a lot of enemies. I want to be yours one hundred percent, but can you be a state alchemist and protect me at the same time?”

He sighs. She brought up a good point. The reason she was willing to wait was that he did have many enemies. People who would do anything to try and harm him. He doesn’t know know if he can do both but he’s willing to try. He’s willing to fight for her if he had to.

“I don’t know if I can, but I can sure try,”

He watches her smile widen but there is still worry on her face.

“What if one of your enemies does catch me? What would you do?”

“Let them try. They’ll learn why nobody should touch Winry Rockbell again.” He snarls.

Winry smiles and hides her face in his chest. She’s so happy right now. She decides that a little teasing is in order.

“Well, if you insist. I will be your girlfriend, Mr. State alchemist,” Ed rolls his eyes.

“Wait until Al and everyone else finds out about us. They’ll know that ‘Mr.hotheaded prodigy’ is head over heels in love with his childhood friend.” She snickers, taking his hand.

“Win, stop!” He whines. Her heart lights up when he presses a kiss to the top of her head. He stands up, stumbling slightly. He takes her hands and helps her up. He quickly takes out his pocket watch. She frowns at his grimace.

He sighs and puts the watch away. “I think we need to go back. It’s 11:40. I want to get back in time to drop you safely back at my dorm.” She nods. He takes her hand and they start on the walk back.

* * *

Ed opens the door to the room, letting Winry in first. She thanks him. Winry smiles at Al as he comes to greet them. Winry handed Ed’s coat back to him and he put it on.

“Did the two of you have a nice walk? 

Winry could feel an eye roll incoming from Ed. She definitely knew what Al was getting at. Ok, maybe they hadn’t exactly hidden their relationship the best they could for the past year. Winry knew how Al loved teasing Ed about her and their relationship.

Ed nodded, “We did. We went to that hill that I really like going sometimes.” 

“Anything interesting happen?” Ed knew exactly what Al was getting out now. He wanted to know if anything had happened between the two of them.

He looked at Winry. Silently telling her that he would tell Al about their relationship when this was all over. 

“No, nothing interesting.” He goes to his desk and grabs the gloves that he usually wears. He slides them on. He glances at his watch again. The time showed 12:15. Fifteen minutes before he had to meet their killer. 

He looked at Al and Winry, taking them in. He was growing a little nervous about doing this, but he knew he had to. He breathed in deeply and released the breath. He knew that both Winry and Al could tell how nervous he was.

“Well, this is it.” He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. He saw Winry’s eyes fill with tears. She was worried about him. They had talked about him being careful on the way over. He ad reassured her that there was no reason to worry. 

He’s surprised when Winry has him in a tight hug. She’s pressing her face against his shoulder. He can feel her shaking and he knows she’s trying to be strong for him. He knows something could go wrong on this mission and so does she, but he’s going to come back. Al surprisingly joins in on the hug.

Ed’s heart aches. He knows that Al doesn’t want him to do this. He’s already resigned himself to letting Al down this one time. It doesn’t hurt any less. He pulls back from them and looks at both of them.

“I’m going to go now. I have to meet this guy soon.”

Al is silent for a moment before he nods.

“I know you don’t approve Al, but thank you for not trying to stop me.” He holds out his fist for Al to bump.

Al bumps his fist back. He smiles up at his little brother, thankful for him seeming to understand.

“I hope to not be gone for too long. Might take a few hours to get everything settled once I get him to Mustang and all that.”

Al nodded. “Just be careful, brother.”

Ed nodded. “I will. I promise.”

Winry stepped forward and punched him in the shoulder. He saw all he needed to in her eyes. He nodded. 

He walked to the door and nodded to the both of them. He knew he was doing the right thing. So why did his heart hurt leaving Al behind?

* * *

Ed creeps through the dark alley. Everything was going alright so far. He was close to twelfth and Susana now. It was a few streets away. His nervousness was picking up a little. That was understandable, he had never met with a murderer before.

Ed soon comes to realize that he’s hearing footsteps behind him. He risks a glance of looking behind. He’s startled when he sees the silhouette of a person behind him. He stares for a moment before turning around.

His heart leaps in his throat when he sees Colonel Mustang and his team in front of him. He growls in annoyance. Another look behind him confirms its Breda as he gets closer.

“What’s going on?” He growls as he walks to stand before Mustang.

Mustang doesn’t answer him. He watches as Havoc steps up beside Mustang and takes out a vial and syringe from his pocket. His breath catches in his throat. _No. No!_ They were not going to do this. They were trying to stop him and by the looks of it through drugs. 

“Fullmetal, you’re going to come with us back to HQ or we use this and take you back by force.”

Ed’s hackles rose. They were _not_ taking him anywhere without a fight. Was this what Mustang had been keeping Al behind for? They were planning to go as far as drugging him just because he needed to catch their killer?

A flash of hurt runs through him. Al had agreed to this? If he didn’t come quietly then they were going to do this? Hatred passed through his face as he stared at Mustang.

“I knew you could stoop to low places, Mustang, but this? You manipulated my brother into agreeing with this?” He snarled.

He brought his hands up, preparing to clap.

“Fullmetal, think about this. We really don’t want to have to take you down.”

“Listen chief, we can go with you. This is not something you can do alone.”

Ed shook his head. They really didn’t get it. He was _not_ going to let anyone stop him from taking down a killer who was murdering innocents because of him.

He clapped and pressed his hands into the ground.

Blue alchemic energy flew up around him. He transmuted a wall in front of him, then transmuted pillars to jump onto the wall of the alley. He ran down the wall. He yelped when he felt a flash of fire behind him. Was the bastard colonel trying to get him killed?

He lept across to the opposite wall and turned into another section of the alley, hoping to lose them. 

Ed skidded to a halt when Breda and Hawkeye appeared before him. He snarled and slammed his hands together. He transmuted another pillar, intending to land there. He never got the chance to finish his leap. A wall of fire appeared before him.

He let out a sharp gasp, dodging the fire. He fell harshly onto his side. Ed was winded for a second. 

He managed to sit up. Ed looked to his right and left. His left contained colonel Mustang, Hawkeye, and Fuery watching him. To the right were Havoc and Breda. They were cornering him!

Ed snarled like a feral dog. He clapped, intending to transmute a hole to get out the alley. The alchemic energy flickered away and dove into the hole. He was a few feet in when something wrapped around his ankle, pulling him backward.

He managed to look behind himself. His eyes widened. How had Mustang managed to transmute a vine? Ed thought he only knew flame alchemy. No! How had he gotten him so easily? 

Ed growled and transmuted his automail arm into a blade. He tried sawing through the vine when he felt another one wrap around his other leg. His heart beat furiously as he clapped his hands. He stopped. What would he even transmute to get out of this? He dug his fingers into the earth desperately trying to hang on.

The muscles in his flesh leg cried out in protest as his grip on the earth stopped him from moving. The aching turned into sharp pain as the tugging got harder. Finally, he had to let go. If it was a physical fight they wanted, then it was what they were going to get.

The vines finally brought him to the top. He felt hands on his legs. They were trying to holding him down! He kicked out his legs, trying to loosen the grip on him. The grip on his legs went away as he kicked out with his automail. That’s when he noticed. Al was there. He had made those vines.

He felt hurt flash through him as he stared up at his little brother. How had e not heard the metallic clanking or his voice approaching? “I’m sorry, brother,” Al said.

His heart beat wildly as he was finally pulled back up. The team was closer to him now. He saw the syringe in Havoc’s hand. _He wasn’t going to win this_.

His breathing came fast as lashed out at the hands around him. They felt like the tiny black hands that drug him into the gate. Breda’s strong grip latched onto his arm. He managed to get Breda’s arm off of him and made to run when the man tackled him to the ground.

He reached his automail behind him, trying to punch the man. Breda gripped the automail arm and pinned it with a strong grip. He was too focused on Breda’s grip to notice Hawkeye pinning his other arm. He didn’t realize until he couldn’t move. 

Adrenaline flooded through him. He bucked against them, desperate to throw them off. 

“Hold his legs.” He heard. Someone sat on his legs, effectively stopping any chance he had to get away. Terror flooded him now. This couldn’t be happening. It had to be a dream. A bad dream. He had failed. More people were going to die now. 

“No! Let me go!” He yelled. He snarled as footsteps approached his head. “I have to meet him! More people are going to die!” 

A hand approached his face and he snapped out at his. He earned a yelp in response. It had been Mustang’s yelp.

“Brother, calm down.”

Calm down? _Calm down_! He was perfectly fine! They were the ones stopping him. He was not going to calm down when people were at stake!

He bucked against the wait on him, nothing moved. “Hold his head, Al.” 

He felt Al’s gauntlet press down on his head, forcing his face into the concrete. 

No!

No!

_No!_

His heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest. His breaths came out sharp and fast. Now he could move nothing. 

“Its ok, brother. This is for the best.”

No, it wasn’t! They didn’t understand. 

He heard Havoc kneel by his face. Havoc’s fingers were cold against the warmth of his neck. Hot tears built up behind his eyes as hopelessness overwhelmed him. How had this happened within a matter of minutes? It didn’t feel real.

Havoc’s fingers trailed down to the base of his neck, feeling around. He snarled at the touch. 

“Sorry, chief. Had to find the right muscle.” He heard shifting around and his heart stopped when he felt the needle pushing into his skin.

“Please No.” He whispered.

His plea went unanswered. The liquid shot into his muscle, chilling him.

“No! Let me go! Please!” He tried to once again fight against the hands. It took him a good minute to finally be able to get someone to let their grip go.

Whatever he had been injected with was starting to take effect. He felt a flash of panic overtake him as his muscle seemed to stop responding to him. He snarled at his body to move, to do _anything_.

Hands removed themselves from him when they thought it was safe and he took the chance they gave him.

The drug had slowed him down, he couldn’t stand up, couldn’t move well really. The hands returned to pin him down once more.

His eyelids felt incredibly heavy and he tried to keep them open. He lost that fight too. His eyelids slid shut. His senses left one by one. Touch disappeared first and then his hearing.

Finally, he surrendered, letting himself be dragged down into the inky darkness of unconsciousness.

* * *

**Hope y'all enjoyed! If you'd like to talk to me about the fic or just request another fic, follow me on twitter @wests_barry, on Tumblr @alchemicwestallen, and Instagram @ extrawestallen**


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all! I hope y'all are doing well! Thanks so much for the comments and kudos! I really appreciate it! So this fic is gonna get even better. Something happened in this chapter and I had a light bulb moment at nearly 1 AM and I surprised myself with where I decided to make it go. I think y'all will really like it. Leave a comment and tell me what you think about the direction this fic is taking. I love hearing your thoughts! Anyways enjoy!

Al didn’t have a heart in his current body. He knew that if he had one, then he would be able to feel it shatter when he held Ed’s head down. It hurt him beyond comprehension as he watched the consciousness fade away from Ed’s eyes. His metaphorical heart cracked further as Ed’s golden eyes rolled back in his head and his body spasmed, a last effort of defiance before total unconsciousness took over.

Al and the team sat silently for a good ten minutes before anyone moved. He released his hold on Ed’s head and everyone else released their grip on his arms and legs. It was unsettling seeing Ed laying there, face down on the pavement. He brushed away the hair that had fallen in front of Ed’s face. The guilt began to slowly overwhelm him.

“Check his vitals, make sure he’s ok and unconscious,” Mustang ordered Havoc.

Al backed away to let Havoc take over and he walked to Mustang’s side. 

“I wish he wouldn’t have fought us. I really didn’t want Havoc to have to drug him.” He sighed.

Mustang looked at him sympathetically. “You saw how desperate he was, Alphonse. He wasn’t going to listen to reason. I’m just glad that we cornered him as quickly as we did.”

Al nodded, he knew this had been the only way to keep Ed from getting himself killed. It didn’t make him feel any better. Ed was going to be very angry when he woke up. He was rarely angry for real, but when he was, it was best to stay out of his way. He just hoped that Ed wouldn’t try to distance himself when he woke up.

Al shook his head. He was being ridiculous, wasn’t he? Ed would be mad for a while, yes, but he would never distance himself from him. Even their longest fights hadn’t entirely been that long. Either he or Ed would eventually come crawling back, asking the other for forgiveness and be forgiven wholeheartedly.

He was being selfish, he knew he was. The more he thought, the more the guilt eased up. This was the right thing to do. Ed would see that one day. 

“Alphonse, you alright?” Mustang patted his metal arm.

He nodded. “Just thinking about what you said.”

“What conclusion did you come to?”

“You’re right. This probably was for the best.” He admits. Mustang nods.

“How’d you get here so fast? I didn’t see you until you were making the transmutation circle. I thought you weren’t going to be directly involved” Mustang was very curious.

That was true, he wasn’t originally planning on witnessing the plan in action. He thought he wouldn’t have been able to go through with it. That was until he told Winry what was going on before he left. He shuddered. He had never seen her so angry.

“Let’s just say you don’t want to see the wrath of Winry Rockbell.” He groaned.

Mustang shuddered. “That bad, huh?”

He nodded. “She doesn’t agree with this. She’s going to be meeting me at HQ with him.” He told Mustang.

Mustang nodded. “That’s fine. I imagine she’ll be able to calm him down when he wakes up?”

He knew what Mustang meant. He knew that he meant the nightmares that could possibly come along with the drug and calming his anger. It still hurt though. Hurt knowing that this was one of the times where he wouldn’t be able to calm him down.

‘Yeah. I think so.” 

“Good.” Mustang turned his attention to Havoc, who was still checking on Ed’s unconscious form. 

“Is he stable and good to go?” He called. Havoc nodded.

Mustang then turned back to Al. “You remember what I told you to do?”

Al nodded. He would take Ed back to HQ and place handcuffs that made it impossible for alchemy to be performed. He would then wait for Mustang and the team while they took down the killer. 

“Alright then. He’s fine. You can go ahead and take him back. Just be careful. We shouldn’t be too long.” 

“Yes, sir.” Al nodded. Havoc scooped up Ed’s limp form and placed him in Al’s arms. 

“The drug should last around a few hours. If he suffers any side effects, there’s treatment in the infirmary,” 

Al knew where to go. He would be fine in the case something bad happened.

“I hope to not take too long with Anamala. I hope to be back by 2 or 3 AM.” Mustang gave Al one last look before turning to his team and briefing them.

He started making his way away from them. He turns around and catches this leaving, Mustang in the front. He feels a little worried about letting them go alone. He huffs a metallic sigh. They were all trained soldiers. They would be fine, right?

* * *

Roy creeps quietly down the alley of twelfth street. Hawkeye follows closely behind him, followed by the rest of the team. He looks around the corner and motions to his team that it’s safe.

Roy holds his breath when they come to the street intersecting Twelfth street and Susana. A few street lights illuminated the darkness. The normally bustling street looked desolate and unsettling in the darkness.

He turns to Hawkeye and she returns his gaze. She’s nervous just like he is. He turns to the rest of the team. The normally stoic looking Havoc looked apprehensive, his posture stiff. Roy quickly looked at his watch. It was time. 

He looked around. Anyone could have been watching them from the shadows. His dark eyes scanned and he saw it! A shadow traveling towards them from the other side of the unlit street. His heart froze as the shadow came closer to the light of the pole, finally appearing under the light.

Roy froze in absolute horror. This man  _ Could not _ have been Damian Anamala. The man’s distinct ice-blue eyes, dark hair, and sharp cheekbones spoke true to that. He had seen Anamala’s picture in his daughter’s death report. This man was a Drachman. What was a Drachman doing in Amestris?

Drachman’s were cruel people. They beat their prisoners until inches away from death to get information. They would kill their prisoners anyway, leaving them to decompose out in the snow for the animals to pick at their bones. They were known to show no mercy on the battlefield.

The longer Roy stared at the man, the more horrified he felt. The man looked so hauntingly familiar but he could not place him. Had he seen him long ago? Perhaps that was the case.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost, colonel Mustang.” The man’s heavy accent broke his thoughts.

“My apologies, I just never thought I would see a Drachman on Amestrian soil. Just thought that we Amestrian ‘dogs’ were unappealing to your people.”

The man chuckled harshly. “That is true. I never thought I would be assigned to this hellhole.”

Assigned? Why would a Drachman be ‘assigned’ to Amestris? 

“Who are you? You can’t be Damian Anamala. That is an Amestrian name. Tell me Drachman, who are you?”

The Drachman chuckled dangerously. “Ah, that name. I’m quite fond of it now. That disgusting name is what I chose when I snuck into this country,” The Drachman placed his hands in his pockets and Roy tensed.

“The real Damian Anamala is dead. I killed his daughter and then him a month later.”

“My real name is Kirsanov Petrovich. Captain Petrovich at your service.”

Roy’s blood froze. Kirsanov Petrovich, the most wanted criminal in Amestris. Now he remembered. He had sent Ed on a mission two years prior to catch the man and turn him into Amestrian custody. Ed had chased him throughout the country for three months. The manhunt ended in Petrovich escaping into Drachma with life-threatening wounds and Ed was left with having a broken arm, severe concussion, and severely broken ribs.

He felt even sicker knowing that he had tainted a dead man’s name. How could someone sound so calm about killing an innocent person? The man had somehow also discovered every bit of information about Ed. This man was dangerous. He had to be careful.

It didn’t make sense to Roy. Why would Amestris’ most wanted criminal just waltz into the country that was looking for him and had a bounty on his head. Unless he was here for a reason. Why would he want Ed?

“Now, where is the Fullmetal Alchemist? I believe that I asked him to come alone.”

“I didn’t allow him. He is fourteen and very reckless.” Roy said smoothly.

Petrovich’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Ah, but that was not the case two years ago. He was twelve, wasn’t he? I imagine he is still very reckless, no?”

Roy fought back a chuckle. Well, Ed was still very reckless. That was the whole he reason they had knocked him out tonight.

“Yes, he’s quite the troublemaker.”

Petrovich’s eyes kept their cold stare. “I specifically stated in the letter that bad things would happen if he did not come. I kill more women and wrote the note to gain his attention.”

Roy tensed. The man was getting mad. He felt Hawkeye tense beside him.

“What was the letter for? What would you want with an Amestrian alchemist? A boy at that.”

Petrovich shook his head. “I do not have the clearance to tell you. Let’s just say. . . my people have taken a special interest in the boy. The way he uses alchemy is particularly interesting.”

“Your ear is missing. Haven’t you committed the taboo yourself? Why not just use you?”

“My dear Mustang, I have not had this alchemy long enough to know how to use it.

Roy snorted. The guy was crazy if he thought that Fullmetal would cooperate with Drachman’s. Ed was loyal. He would never cooperate with another country.

The man glared at Roy, having taken offense to the snort. “I give you until Seven AM. Make him come here.” The man threatened.

Roy was suddenly serious again. “What happens if he doesn’t come?”

The man clicked his teeth and took a device out of his pocket. A detonator!

“I explode bomb. My friends take down soldiers from the inside and we take him by force.”

Roy’s blood chilled. That meant…

“Yes, Amestrian. The military is compromised.” The man said gleefully. His ice-cold eyes stared daggers into Mustang.

“How many?” Roy snarled. His team was whispering amongst themselves.

“How many what, my dear colonel.” The man was playing games now. 

“How many spies!” Roy roared. Nobody was safe. This was so much bigger than just Ed. 

The fuhrer would have to know. There would be a big controversy over this. There would be unrest once it reached the streets. People would turn wary, not knowing who to trust. The military would quickly go from a source of protection to a source of fear.

Petrovich’s expression sickened him as he turned away from his thoughts. He seethed with hatred for the man and the spies invading his country.

“You said that you would give us until seven?”

Petrovich nodded. “Yes, or Central goes Kaboom! The man made a noise and lifted his arms for dramatic effect.

Roy turned to the team. Their gazes were horrified at the revelation. 

“Sir, we can’t do what he asks.” Hawkeye grounds out, her eyes filled with anger.

“We have to. Its the only way.” Roy turns back to the man.

“I’ll do it. I’ll bring him.” 

Petrovich’s eyes lit up with glee. “You’ve made the right decision, Colonel Mustang. Seven and not a second later.” The man cackled as he fled into the darkness.

Roy let his expression fall. The military was compromised, Central was close to being destroyed. All for the sake of one alchemist. Roy sank to his knees. This was a lot to take in.

Roy stared down the dark street. His obsidian eyes staring at nothing, while his mind raced with what to do. This was above him and he knew it. He felt Hawkeye touch his shoulder and he turned back to look at her. She was unsettled, he could tell by her eyes.

“We need to report this, colonel.” She said, voice unusually quiet. He nodded and stood. They started the quiet walk back to HQ. He didn’t know what he was going to tell Ed. 

The whole of Amestris was at stake, but all Roy could think about was keeping Ed safe.

* * *

“...Ed...Ward...”

Someone was calling his name. He wanted to respond, why did his head feel so clouded?

“W...ake...up...Ed.”

He felt someone touch his face, gentle fingers brushing back his hair. Ed grunted softly. The hand stopped and cupped his face. They were gentle, the hands. They were kind and caring, and felt very familiar.

“It’s alright. Take your time. There’s no rush.” The voice traveled to his mind and his head suddenly felt clearer.

_ Winry _ .

Working up the effort, Ed peeled his eyelids open. 

The world was blurry and his eyes didn’t seem to want to focus on anything at the moment. He caught sight of her eyes before they slid shut again. Why did she look so anxious? Slowly, his thoughts and memories were returning to him.

He remembered the alley. Didn’t he encounter Mustang? What had happened during that encounter? Was that why his mind was foggy and uncooperative?

Wait, why hadn’t he met Anamala? Hadn’t that been what he was supposed to be doing? He racked his slowly returning memories and finally the memory he had been searching for returned.

The memory of the fight came back to him vividly. The adrenaline. The terror when he realized that he had been effectively pinned. The anger came back too. A deep rage slowly filled him as he thought about Mustang. 

He had trusted that bastard, and where had that gotten him? The man had wiped away years of slightly built trust and tiny bits of respect he may have had for the man. His team had gone along with it. Weren’t they the people who wanted him to trust them more?

He couldn’t trust Mustang anymore. The one thing that had been up to him to stop and the man had kept him from doing his job. More people were going to die now because of him. He should’ve been able to escape Mustang. His guilt at himself and his anger at Mustang rose as the minutes passed.

His eyes fluttered open again, finally focusing. His half-lidded eyes took Winry in. She was watching him with a worried smile on her face. Her hand came to touch his cheek and he leaned into it. 

“Win.” He breathed. He allowed his eyes to flutter shut. He tried to move his flesh hand to cover hers but it wouldn’t move

He raised his head to look at his hands. His hands were held in a strange contraption. The contraption seemed to not let him pull his hands apart when he gave an experimental tug. He let out a harsh breath, struggling to control his anger. He had seen this before. It was used on prisoners and he was no prisoner.

“I’m sorry. I tried to convince Al that he didn’t have to put those on. He only said that Mustang wanted those on you.” Winry apologized.

He looked up at her, eyes softening. Her eyes were filled with tears. She didn’t like seeing him like this, powerless and unable to do anything to escape.

“It’s not your fault.” He soothed. He smiled up at her. His head began to ache a little, an after effect of whatever drug he had been given. Her hand traveled down the back of the hand that the contraption left exposed.

His eyes squeezed shut when his headache spiked. Seriously, what had they given him?

“Did Al tell you what they gave me?” He finally spoke after the pain decreased.

“He told me ketamine.” 

Ed’s eyes flew open.  _ Ketamine _ ! It was very easy to overdose on that. The bastard colonel was lucky he hadn’t overdosed on in. The idiot probably hadn’t been thinking at all in the first place.

“Does the bastard want to kill me?” He groaned. He turned serious at Winry’s worried smile.

“He knew this was important to me Winry. For two years I’ve worked for this man and he never showed that he cared once about my wellbeing. The moment some murderer requests me, he does this. What the hell am I supposed to do? Thank him?”

Winry sighed. “Al claimed that Mustang believed you weren’t thinking rationally, that you were being consumed by guilt and he would kill you if you met him.”

“That’s a load of absolute crap! That’s all I thought about for a day, how to approach this guy! I had a plan of my own! Mustang didn’t even ask what my plan was!” He yelled.

He squeezed his eyes shut as the headache spiked once again. 

“Hey, you ok?” She asked worriedly, placing her hand on his forehead. She brushed his damp bangs away from his face.

“Yeah. Just a headache.” He could feel exhaustion pulling at his lids. Winry was getting fuzzy again, his body still affected by the drug. 

“You need to rest. We can talk more when you wake up.

“W-What time is it?” He slurred. Winry’s hand was really comforting, nearly pulling his eyelids shut then in there.

“It’s 3. He isn’t back yet. I’ll wake you when he gets here.”

“ ‘m not tired.” It seemed like his body was contradicted him as his eyes slid shut again. Well, he could afford a few hours of rest before he gave the bastard a good reaming. 

“Yes, you are.” She laughed. “I promise, I’ll wake you up.”

Winry pulled away and he immediately felt her loss.

“Stay.” His voice a breathy whisper.

Winry’s hand disappeared. He heard shifting and suddenly his arms were being lifted and she was fitting under them.

She laid down beside him, her head on his chest. His head turned into her shoulder. 

He thought about Al as he faded into sleep. How his little brother was probably suffering from so much guilt. He didn’t blame Al at all. He knew that his brother was easily manipulated in emotional situations. This was no different. He needed to let Winry know that Al shouldn’t blame himself. He tried to sluggishly pull his thoughts together as what he believed was a slurred and barely audible version of his thoughts.

“ ‘ry ‘ell Al ‘ot his ‘ault.” 

He was unconscious before he heard what she said.

* * *

It was nearly five in the morning when Winry woke Ed. He was broken from his dreamless sleep by her shaking him and her worried face looking down at him. He knew something was wrong immediately. Something had happened to Mustang, hadn’t it? She wouldn’t have looked so nervous.

“Al came by a few minutes ago. He wanted me to wake you. He said that Mustang returned and was coming to talk to you after he took care of a few things.”

What could’ve happened at the meeting that had scared Mustang so badly? Ed sat up, body aching a little as he did. He motioned to the back of his head and Winry redid his braid for him to smooth it out.

“Did Al tell you what was wrong?”

“All he said was that Mustang had discovered Damian Anamala’s true identity and national security or whatever was at stake.”

Ed spun around to look at her, eyes wide. Matter of national security what the hell did that mean? Damian Anamala not being the man’s true identity? What was going on? All he knew was that he better get words out of Mustang and it better be quick.

He was getting ready to say something to Winry when the door slid open. Mustang appeared in the doorway. The man’s hair was disheveled and he was pale. The look in the man’s obsidian eyes interested him the most. His eyes were cold and blank of all emotion. 

His eyes glared daggers into Mustang. The man was going to answer for what he’d done to him. 

“Miss Rockbell, may I speak with him alone?”

Winry stood up and smiled at him as she left the cell. Her face a conflicted.

_ ‘I’ll be back as soon as the two of you are done talking. _ ’ She mouthed. He nodded quickly.

He turned his attention back to Mustang, anger, and hatred flaring up. What was the excuse going to be? ‘Sorry Fullmetal. Didn’t trust you.’ That would’ve been something the man probably would’ve said. 

“Well Colonel, why did you feel the need to drug me?” He snarled. Mustang’s face remained in his blank look.

“Fullmetal, I did not think you were ready to handle that on your own. Especially after what I found.”

He snarled, jumping to his feet to stand nose to nose with the man. Mustang refused to back down.

“What the hell is going on colonel, Al mentioned that this is a matter of national security. Just what did you find out?”

The statement managed to break the man of his passive face. A look of fear passed in the man’s eyes. Ed was surprised. He had never seen Mustang surprised. 

“Damian Anamala is not his real name. His real name is Kirsanov Petrovich. He is a Drachman spy.”

Ed froze. Petrovich. He remembered the man. The man had nearly killed him in their final confrontation. He had never caught him. He was barely conscious when he had collapsed in the snow, nearly bleeding to death from his wounds.

“I could’ve met him and finally caught him! Mustang you don’t understand what this meant to me! It was my responsibility!” He yelled.

“Fullmetal, you’re reckless. You’re fourteen. You should’ve never been placed on that mission in the first place. An older alchemist would’ve caught him.”

“That’s not my fault! He nearly killed me! You’re missing the freaking point entirely! He killed all those innocents to come after me! I had a perfectly good plan. I swear, I’m not a kid Mustang!” Ed screamed.

Ed was shaking with rage. The man had the audacity to blame him for not catching the guy. The was a fight that Mustang was not going to win.

“Ed, the Drachman’s want you so they can learn about your alchemy. I imagine they plan to use it for a way to take out Amestris. He told me that if you were not there by Seven then he’d blow up parts of Central and have some of his people on the inside take soldiers down and take you anyway! That is not something a kid can handle!” Mustang yelled.

Ed was slightly taken aback. They wanted him for his alchemy? He smirked internally, he could rock those bastards to their core. He would enjoy taking them down. So, this whole time a Drachman wanted him and were probably going to ship him off to Drachma? Well, if they wanted him then that was what they were going to get.

_ ‘I can give surrender to myself to them and take down whatever operation from the inside. This’ll show people that I can hold my own. I’ll be doing everyone a favor by doing this.’ _

“Ok, so let me meet him. What’s the worst that can happen? I’m so much stronger now! They can’t kill me because they need me!”

“No Ed. You’re just a kid. I’ll figure something else out. The fuhrer knows now. He’s working on something to run the spies out of hiding. He wanted to meet at seven but we’ll have a plan before then.”

“No, I need to meet him. You said it yourself, lives are in danger. I’m a pro at saving lies. Its what I do for a living. I’ll give myself up peacefully and take down whatever their operation is from the inside!”

He would show that bastard. He would show him that he was no kid and that he could handle the situation. Mustang was not going to keep him out of this.

Mustang was getting angry now. The kid wasn’t understanding the gravity of the situation. The fuhrer had agreed, they couldn’t give up Amestris’ most valuable alchemist. It was something they simply weren’t doing. 

“Fullmetal, I don’t know how many times it can be pounded into your skull. No. You’re not doing this. You’re clearly too naive to understand that you  _ would _ be in over your head. End of discussion.”

Rage he had never felt before burned in Ed’s chest. He was going, whether he had to break out and knock out every member of Mustang’s team to do so. Ed knew he was not worth all of the trouble to keep safe, so why was everyone working so hard to keep him safe?

“I’m no longer a kid, Mustang! I lost that privilege the day my mother died and when I put my brother in an unfeeling metal shell!” He screamed.

“Who’s fault is that, exactly? If you had just accepted she was dead then maybe your brother wouldn’t be trapped in a metal shell and you wouldn’t have joined the military searching for a stone that probably isn’t real!” Roy roared.

Roy knew he had said the wrong thing the moment those words came out of his mouth. Ed shrunk back, his expression a look of shock. So, the man had finally gotten off his chest what Ed had believed for the past two years. Everything was his fault. He had been waiting for someone to tell him that before he convinced himself that it wasn’t his fault.

“Ed I一”

“Rot in hell,” Ed whispered. 

He knew what the man was saying was true. It just hurt knowing someone he thought he could trust with his wellbeing and secret had broken both of those the same day. It  _ hurt _ , but he couldn’t do anything about it. Right now he had to focus on getting out of here and getting to the Drachman.

Ed sat heavily on the bunk. His eyes refused to meet Mustang’s, afraid to see what he would find. Mustang’s eyes shone heavily with regret. He hadn’t meant any of those things.

“Ed一” 

“Go! Just go!” Ed yelled, voice cracking.

Hot tears filled his eyes but he quickly blinked them away. He was  _ not _ going to cry in front of this bastard. 

Roy stared at the boy a moment longer before sliding the door shut, leaving it unlocked for Winry to reenter. 

Ed continued to stare at the ground, not even acknowledging Winry as she returned and sat beside him.

“I heard what happened.” She said quietly.

“Yeah.”

“Are. . . Are you alright?”

“No.” That was something he would not have admitted if it had been anyone but her.

“Ed.”

He looked up. He was surprised by what she had in her hands, a key, the key that would unlock the contraption on his hands.

“How did…” He trailed off. He knew what she was doing. She had heard everything and she was going to help him escape, even knowing the consequences.

“Win,” He breathed, eyes widening.

“I don’t agree with Mustang, Ed. You’re older now. These guys should trust you. You’re going to prove that by stoping whatever evil alchemic plans they may have.”

He stared at him in wonder. His girlfriend, his beautiful girlfriend. She had so much faith in him. He had to push himself out of his self-loathing and push it to the side. He had Drachman’s to take down from the inside.

“How do y’know they have evil alchemic plans? Maybe they just want to learn alchemy, using me as the blueprint.” He cracked a half-smile. Winry rolled her eyes.

“They must if they want  _ you _ .” She retorted. He cracked a half-smile and lowered his head. A lot was happening right now.

“Unlock them.” He finally said. Winry pushed the key into the slot and disarmed the cuffs. Ed could feel the alchemic energy returning to him at once.

He rubbed his wrists, wincing at the slight ache. He was so grateful for Winry, he knew she must have had some reservations doing this.

He took her face in his hands and rested his forehead against hers. 

“Win, are you sure? This could be a suicide mission.” 

After all, it could surely be one. He had heard the stories of what the Drachman’s did to prisoners of war. He knew that he might leave the situation worse for wear. He was prepared for that, if it saved Amestris from Drachman alchemists with possible evil plans, then he was willing to do anything.

“I’m sure. I thought about it while the two of you talked.” Her eyes shined with tears and he knew she was being brave for him.

He leaned in and kissed her deeply. He allowed himself to savor the kiss. It could be the last one for a very long time.

“Win I need you to know一”

“Don’t say you might not come back, because I will beat you to death with a wrench.”

He huffed a laughed. “I won’t say goodbye then.” He brushed her bangs away from her face.

He pulled her into a crushing hug. Why was it so hard to let go of her?

“I’ll see you later. That’s a promise. They won’t break me win.”

Winry’s determined gaze filled him.

“Come back to me.” 

“I will.”

He kissed her one last time, passionate enough to make Winry’s knees tremble.

They parted and Ed made his way to the door.

“Cover me.” He whispered. She nodded.

She pulled the door open quickly and looked both ways. She turned back and nodded. He quickly left his prison. 

He turned to Winry, holding her gaze. He squeezed her hand one last before he pulled away. 

“I love you.” He smiled.

“I love you.” He pulled away from her and all she wanted was him back.

He looked at her one last time before racing down the hallway, leaving Winry to wonder if he would truly be ok.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, what do y'all think? Tell me what you think! Was Winry right to let Ed escape? Was Ed being naive? Who knows!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all! I hope everyone is doing well! I'm so sorry that it took me this long to get a new chapter up. Last Thursday was my birthday and I didn't feel up for much writing the past few days. This is a bit of a shorter chapter, but I hope y'all will enjoy it! I really appreciate all of the people reading this, the kudos, and the comments! I was also wondering anyone would like to become a beta reader for this fic. It would be a big help. Just contact me if you'd like to!

A deep sigh escaped from his lips. Havoc looked around the room. It had never been this quiet on the usual days. Well, this wasn’t a usual day. It was 6 AM, nobody had gotten a wink of sleep, and they had just found out that the military had been compromised. That would keep most people deep in their own thoughts.

Havoc took a quick sip of his cooling coffee, wrinkling his nose at the taste. HQ coffee always tasted bad, that’s why he liked stopping by that little coffee shop not too far down the street. His fingers tapped on the desk, trying to figure out something to do. Mustang had gone to talk to the fuhrer again. 

Anxiety, cold and hot at the same time, flooded him. What was going to happen if they didn’t give Ed to the Drachman? Would Central really go up in flames and the spies would reveal themselves? To Havoc that was a possibility. He had heard stories before. Stories where the government’s from far away countries were invaded from their next-door neighbor, never having the chance to fight back.

_ ‘Not much that can be done if the Drachman’s are dead set on capturing Ed at any cost.’ _

He shrugged the thought to the side and stood up, stretching out the ache in his back. Hawkeye looked up at him, her brown eyes following him.

“Lieutenant, I’m going to check on Ed. Want to make sure he’s ok.”

“Ok. Make sure to be back by the time the colonel gets back here.”

He nodded and left the room. His thoughts traveled to Mustang and what his expression was when he first came back before visiting the fuhrer

. He hadn’t missed Mustang’s expression when he had returned. It was one that he never usually held. Havoc couldn’t tell what it was in those obsidian eyes. Regret? Pain? Well, he was never going to ask the colonel, the man probably wouldn’t have told him anyway. 

He wondered if something had happened between the two when Mustang went to go see him. He wouldn’t have been surprised if it did. The kid was a raging fire. The fire in his golden eyes only increased when angered.

Havoc shivered, remembering the time he had made the kid that angry. It took him weeks to look the kid in the eyes after that.

The walk to the cells went by fast. He didn’t realize how much time one could pass just in thinking. 

Havoc pulled the wooden door open, noticing that there was no one on guard duty. Odd, considering how many people were called in off duty to figure this whole situation out about the spies.

It’s surprisingly quiet. He would’ve expected to hear Ed’s complaining as soon as he heard the door opening. He had expected the ‘What can I do for you to let out?’ or the ‘I trusted you.’ Havoc hears none of that. All that meets his ears is the sound of silence.

Havoc’s breath catches in his throat when he comes to the cell Ed was in.

The keyword  _ was _ . 

Ed’s gone. Horror floods him. The kid could be halfway to meeting the Drachman bastards now.

Havoc doesn’t even feel himself jerking open the door and running down the hallway, in a mad panic to find the colonel.

* * *

Roy knows he should’ve been back to his office ages ago. The meeting with Bradley had gone fine. The man was a little stressed, who wouldn’t be after finding out that the military you were ruling over had spies? 

Roy hadn’t been entirely focused during his short conversation with Bradley. He couldn’t get his conversation with Ed out of his head. He had never seen the fire in those eyes so intense. It was something, he decided, that he never wanted to see again. It scared him. Scared him knowing that Ed was that desperate.

Guilt bubbled in his chest. Hadn’t he caused the kid to be that desperate? Fullmetal was the type to give himself up without a second thought. It was something he admired about the kid. It was one of Ed’s many charming but annoying qualities. It had never failed to blow him away when the kid had put others before himself. He was so proud of the kid, and how had he shown that off?

By drugging him and telling him that it was his fault that his little brother was trapped in a cold, unfeeling shell.

_ God, what he had done?  _

Roy buried his face in his face. A groan pulled at his throat. He really was a bastard, wasn’t he? How fitting. 

He would apologize. He told himself. He would go to the kid and just this once, admit that he had screwed up. He was an idiot. The kid was only fourteen. He had seen so much he shouldn’t have had to see in his short life. 

Maybe he could have heard the kid out.

Maybe he could’ve listened.

Maybe he should’ve stopped a minute to think about what the kid was going through. That feeling of guilt caught in his throat again. He hadn’t realized that he’d feel this much guilt and regret doing this. Why was he feeling so sorry for himself? He damn well didn’t have the time for this.

A growl bubbled, low and sharp in the back of his throat. He had Drachman bastards to catch and a child to keep safe. He definitely  _ did not _ have time for this. 

“Colonel!” A voice screamed out. He whipped around, fingers poised to snap, an old defensive maneuver ingrained in his head.

Havoc ran towards him, pale and eyes wide with fear. What had made the man so scared?

“T...The kid一”  _ Pant. “ _ He.. _. _ He’s  _ gone!” _

Roy jumped to his feet, staring at Havoc in horror.

“What do you mean he’s  _ gone _ ?” He demanded. Havoc bent over trying to breathe properly.

“I was going to check on him. The cell is empty!” 

Roy leaps to feet, heart pounding. How had the kid even escaped? Someone must’ve let him go!

“Come on!” He yells over his shoulder.

He takes down the hallway and back to the office, running past Alphonse and Winry. 

“Colonel!” Alphonse yells, “What’s wrong?”

Roy didn’t have time to talk to the younger boy. So he said it as fast as he could.

“Ed escaped!” 

He didn’t hear the gasp that escaped Al, he only heard the boy running to catch up with.

Roy skidded into his office, breathing heavily. Riza looked up at him, her face a mask of surprise. The others ran in behind him. He noticed Riza’s eyes widening as she took them all in.

“What’s wrong?” Her hand was on her holster and her face had gone back to her usual mask.

“Ed escaped! We need to go after him!”

“You can’t do that.” The door shut behind them and he spins around.

Winry is standing in front of the door, arms crossed, her face a firey mask of determination. His eyes widen in realization. She had let him escape. But why? He had heard of enough about Winry from Al. She was normally a very skeptical person.

“And why not?” He asked smoothly.

A flash of rage-filled her sky blue eyes.

“Winry,” Al breathed. “What did you do?”

“I came back to the cell after you left. I heard everything, Colonel Mustang,” She stepped towards him, eyes narrowing.

“You turned his greatest regret against him. Do you have any idea the regret he feels for what happened that day? Do you want to know why he was so insistent on going to meet that Drachman?”

Roy had no idea that Ed had that much regret. He remembers seeing the emptiness in the boy’s eyes when he barged into the Rockbell’s home. The boy convinced that he could undo his mistakes, agreeing to become a dog of the military. Had it really only been such a short few years ago?

“I一” Winry cuts him off with a snarl.

“Do you know how painful automail surgery is? It takes months before someone with automail surgery on the leg can walk. Ed was up and walking with an automail leg within six weeks,” Tears welled up in Winry’s eyes, but she continued on

“It was hard for him. He was in so much pain for so many days. I didn’t think he was ready to walk on the leg the first time. I never told him that, though. Granny did. He just shrugged her off, telling her that he had spent enough time recovering,” Winry wiped the tears off of her face. Al placed a hand on her shoulder.

“We tried to start him off slow on walking. He wouldn’t listen. He wouldn’t let anyone touch him as he tried to walk. He fell the first few times. Wouldn’t let anyone help him up. Told me that he had to do this himself. Then he walked. He didn’t fall again. He was walking by himself without struggling within a week. He turned to me at the end of that week and said ‘Did you really underestimate how badly I want to be a state alchemist?’”

Roy was speechless. He had never thought about how desperate Ed was to become a state alchemist. He knew the kid was very passionate about the things he cared about. He never knew that it went  _ this _ deep. 

“He’s so much stronger than all of you realize,” She gestured throughout the room.

“Miss Rockbell, he’s only 14.” Roy tried to argue.

“He was 11 when he had to learn to walk again and he was able to within six weeks. Age doesn’t matter here, Colonel Mustang. He’s perfectly capable of handling himself in these situations where he’s underestimated.”

Roy didn’t know what to say to that. He knew Winry was right. He had underestimated the kid. He’d been doing that the day the kid passed his exam. He couldn’t just do nothing. The Drachman’s could kill him. He needed to find Ed and take the Drachman’s down.

“I understand that. I will have to apologize to him once he takes the Drachman’s down, but I’m going after him. They could kill him. I’m not taking any chances. He’s too important to this country.”

Winry took a deep breath and stepped away from the door. 

“I let him go twenty minutes ago. You might be able to make it if you leave now.” she wipes the tears off her face and hugs Al.

“Go. I’ll stay here.” Al says.

He nods. He and his team ran out of the room.

He had to get there on time. He had to apologize to the kid. He begged whatever higher power there to make sure he got there in time.

He didn’t think he could live with the guilt if something happened to the kid.

* * *

Ed growled in annoyance as the hood of his coat fell again. Sighing, he pushed the hood down and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He hadn’t expected there to be so many soldiers outside of HQ. Well, maybe he should’ve expected it, it wasn’t every day that the whole military was compromised with Drachman spies.

He staunched the nervousness making its way up his throat. It wasn’t the best time for the feeling. He was getting closer. He was almost at the intersection and the alley where he would meet the Drachman bastard.

Ed looked around. The street was empty, save for the cars. That was certainly interesting. Most of the streets in Central were buzzing with people trying to get to work on time at this hour. He looked down at his pocket watch. It was only five minutes until he needed to meet the Drachman.

He stopped under a still glowing light post. The sun was slowly making its way up on the horizon. If Ed didn’t have anywhere else to be, he would’ve been watching it like he usually did. It was comforting to him as he looked around.

It was barely a minute later when Ed heard footsteps. He spun around and saw the man. The man’s ice-blue eyes lit up with glee when he saw Ed looking at him. It was unsettling, to say the least. 

“There you are. I was concerned you would not show up on time!” The Drachman greeted him as if he was an old friend.

Ed’s golden eyes took Petrovich in. He didn’t look any different than he had the last time he’d seen him. He fought the urge to draw his blade as Petrovich stood a few feet from him. The man’s ice-blue eyes bore into him and it took everything Ed to not snarl.

“Heard that you wanted to see me. Something about being interested in my alchemy,”

“Ah, yes. My superiors have heard how brilliant you are. They were...most impressed when I crossed back into the country with severe wounds. They have been waiting for the perfect time to get you, and now is perfect time.”

“Why is now the perfect time? What do they want with me?” He demanded. 

What was so important about him? Sure, he could do transmutations without a circle, but he was just a kid. A kid that never listened to orders and who’s firey temper got him in trouble a lot. What made the Drachman’s think he would help them? 

“That, my friend, Is something is for my superiors to know and for you to possibly find out. I don’t ask questions,”

Petrovich dug something out of his pocket and Ed bristled, clenching his automail fist. 

“What makes you think I’m going to help you at all?” He snarled, clapping, and drawing his blade. 

“Because my friend, you don’t have a choice.” 

Ed’s face clenched in confusion. Had no choice? He scoffed.

“No choice? You must’ve not heard much about me. Terrorists have approached me with better ultimatum’s than you Drachman bastards.” 

Petrovich’s face turned into annoyance but fell when he looked past Ed. Ed wanted to turn around, to see what was so interesting, but he didn’t trust this bastard. Any wrong movement could leave him open for an attack.

“I see we will have to do this the hard way then.” Petrovich sighed. Petrovich nodded to something past Ed. He spun around.

And very narrowly missed the butt of a rifle to the face. Ed snarled and lept back. 

He looked around. Drachman’s were all around him now. The time they had spent speaking had given Petrovich time to have reinforcement’s called for him.

Ed pushed back the growl that welled deep in his throat. How was he going to get out of this mess?

Then he realized something. It was something he wouldn’t think more detail until much later. He wanted to be caught, wanted to show these Drachman bastards that he couldn’t be broken and could stop whatever they threw at him. For now, all he knew was that Amestris was in danger.

He knew that he’d be tortured, he’d already decided that nothing they did would be more painful than automail surgery. If it was to protect Amestris, his little brother, and the love of his life, then he’d do it.

He’d do anything to keep  _ his _ people safe. 

He’d do anything to keep  _ his  _ country safe.

Ed never thought that he’d be willing to do anything to protect his country. Two years ago, he’d never do something like this. He’d let Mustang or someone else get him out of his mess. Not anymore, he was no longer the naive kid that he was when he first joined. It was time to be the soldier that he had signed up to be.

So Ed took a deep breath, retracted his blade, and held out his hands. He nearly chuckled at the look of surprise on the Drachman’s faces.

“I surrender.”

Petrovich’s alarmed face stared at him with wide eyes. Then the expression passed. He motioned to two of his men. They stepped forward, one behind Ed, pulling his arms behind his back, and the other standing in front of him.

The soldier punches Ed in the stomach.

The air is suddenly sucked from Ed. He crumples to the ground, suddenly feeling bile in his mouth. He heaves, hot acid burning his throat. He inhales sharply, trying to regain the oxygen his body is craving. His vision grays out and his chest heaves.

Someone grips his braid and he hisses as they pull him onto feet that won’t hold him. 

“This is great Fullmetal alchemist? He’s tiny.” The Drachman laughs viciously.

Ed grits his teeth and spits in the man’s face. “‘M not little.”

That earns him a sharp punch to the face. Lights erupted in his vision and blood bubbled in his mouth. He spits onto the pavement, a blood grin coming to his face. 

“That all you got?” He growls, eyes staring daggers into the Drachman.

The Drachman’s eyes light up in anger. The next thing Ed knows is that he’s only the ground, receiving sharp kicks to the stomach. Blood pools on the ground in front of him from a cut on his forehead and from his nose.

Pain explodes from his abdomen from a well placed kicked. He grits his teeth against it. He certainly hadn’t expected them to beat him up before hauling him off to where they were going to be taking him.

Lead weighs down Ed’s limbs and he knew he was close to losing consciousness. One last kick to the abdomen makes the blood sitting in his throat explode out in front of him. He chokes on a breath, gagging.

His vision darkens and he’s faintly aware of being dragged up by his hair. Half - lidded eyes glared at Petrovich. The man studied his face before his head snaps back and blood is pouring from his nose and mouth. He’s dropped back onto the pavement and he can’t move.

He rolled onto his side, fighting the unconsciousness that pulled at the edges of his vision. His whole body ached from the beating. Voices were speaking above him. His fading hearing couldn’t catch what they were saying.

He took a sharp breath as pain from his ribs flooded him. He felt hands pulling his arms behind his back, shackling them to lock them in the place. His eyes slid closed to their own accord and he was hefted over someone’s shoulder.

“Fullmetal!” A voice screamed.

His eyes barely opened as he searched for whoever called him.

Blue entered his vision from the pavement across the street.

Mustang?

“Bastard, let him go!” The voice, Mustang, yelled.

His screams at the Drachman bastards went unanswered.

A loud explosion makes him flinch and the man carrying him is running. The world tilted on its axis, making his body scream in pain. His eyes slid shut and his senses began to fade. Voices echoed around him, yelling things his pained mind couldn’t understand.

Agony shoots through his face and he doesn’t even feel himself pass out into the warm embrace of unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it? I hope you liked it! What did you think about Ed's thought process behind his decision? Personally, I believe that Ed is the type to do anything to save his family and friends, even letting himself be kidnapped. He's loyal to a fault and that also shows in how he doesn't fight back when the Drachman is beating his lights out. Also, where do you think he will be taken? Surely the Drachman's need more than one alchemist right?


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all! Back again with another chapter. I really had hoped to get it out earlier but school was crushing me. Thankfully, almost all my final exams are optional which means I'm not taking the optional ones. Friday was the final day of the regular semester so I should have more time to focus on this fic soon. I'm sorry if the pacing for this chapter feels off. I'm not always the best at pacing things. I decided to move plot points I intended from this chapter to the next after deciding there was already too much going on. I really appreciate the comments, kudos, and all of my readers. I never thought I'd have so many people reading. Feel free to leave a comment and tell me what you think! Thank y'all! Anyways, Enjoy!

Someone was touching his face. That’s all Ed was aware of as he floated at the surface of unconsciousness. It wasn't uncomfortable per se, he just didn’t want the hands of unknown people near him. A hand places itself on his nose and feels around. Pain explodes throughout his face.

He whips his head back and forth to dislodge the hand. He’s relieved when it disappears. The buzz of voices above his head alerts him to more people around him. He’s able to escape the fog of his mind to open his eyes.

His blurry gaze focuses on faces above him, eyes wide and worried. They aren’t the ones touching him and he weakly bares his teeth when the hand appears in his vision. 

Who were these people? They had to be Drachman’s. Well, he wasn’t going to be killed without a fight.

The hand settles itself on his face and he bites down hard, tasting copper.

The voice yelps and he feels a slight rush of satisfaction. The voice is suddenly giving the faces orders. Fear floods him as hands settle themselves on his head, holding it. 

Someone pins his legs, and a concerned face holds onto his arms. His snarls grow louder and he tries to throw back his head. The hold only grows tighter. 

_‘I’m trapped_.’

He weakly tries to buck them off, but their body weights hold him down. His chest is heaving and his fogged mind knows that these people are trying to hurt him. Something is stuffed in his mouth, and he nearly chokes. Oh, so they were going to choke him now? 

He tries to spit it out, but a hand pushes it back in. His heart pounds against his ribcage. 

This was it. These people were going to finish him off.

“S….orry….id.” 

The hand moves to his nose, and his nose is quickly jerked. 

Agony flies throughout his face and his own muffled scream is the last thing he hears before the blackness drags him back down.

* * *

The world is spinning the next time he comes to. He squeezes his eyes open and shut a few times, trying to banish the black spots in his vision. The copper taste remains in his mouth and he wonders if the people are still there.

He breathes heavily, trying to remember what led him here and why he hurts so badly.

‘That’s right, I surrendered myself and they beat me up.’ He winces as the pain of his bruised or broken ribs flares up.

A face enters his field of vision, and he flinches, wincing as his body seizes with pain.

“Rana! He’s waking up!” He winces at the yelling. The person kneels beside him, and more people come rushing over.

His hands scrabble at his sides and he painstakingly pulls himself into a sitting position. He scrambles backward, only to find that there’s not any more room to back up.

Four people sit in front of him, looking worriedly at his face. He glares at them, making himself as small as he can to avoid any more injuries.

“Woah, there. You were pretty badly hurt when they threw you in here.” 

The woman’s accent was thick, and he knew she was not Amestrian by the looks of her. Her eyes were green, her hair a ginger red, and her skin was pale. Her face sported a cut running along the bridge of her nose to her left eyebrow.

“Who are you? Where am I?” He snarls. 

“Calm down, kid. We’re not with them. Promise.” The man beside her spoke up. 

He looked between each of them, shaking the remnants of unconsciousness from his mind. He slowly wills his aching body to relax. They all looked young, around his age or older. He noticed that their hands were in handcuffs, making it impossible for them to touch.

“Was it you who wouldn’t stop touching my nose?” He growled. His nose ached, but it wasn’t as bad as it had been.

The woman winced. “Your nose was badly broken. I had to reset it or it wouldn’t have healed properly.” 

“Well, it hurt like hell.” He growls.

The others chuckle and the woman smiles sheepishly. “Sorry, I hoped you wouldn’t remember much. We had to hold you down cause you bit me.”

She motions to a small bandage on her other hand. Ed sheepishly scratches the back of his head.

“Sorry, I didn’t know where I was. I thought you were one of those Drachman bastards.”

The woman’s face screwed up in anger at the mention of the Drachman’s. She stares at her comrades, their faces nervous.

“Who are all of you? You don’t sound like an Amestrian.” The woman smiled slightly.

“I’m Rana, I’m from Aerugo. Kalan is from a country from the west, Maoali.” She motioned to a boy to her right. His eyes were brown, his skin was tanned, and he had dark hair.

“Jenaja is from Xing and Byer is from Aerugo.” She motioned to the girl staring at him with worried dark eyes. Byer slightly smiled, his hazel eyes showed the concern that he must’ve been feeling.

“I’m Edward Elric.” He watched the expressions on all of their faces turn into shock. He smirked, it looked like they had heard of him.

“Wait, THE Edward Elric?” Rana’s green eyes widened, and she turned to Byer beside her. 

He nodded, his smirk growing wider. “You look just like they describe.” Jenaja’s small voice pipes up. Her dark eyes shine with wonder. 

“You’re shorter than I would’ve thought,” Byer states.

Ed hisses. He hated being called short!

“I’M NOT SHORT!” He yells. He crossed his arms, frowning.

“You have that fiery temper that all say you have.” Kalan laughs. 

That was interesting. How had rumors about him spread so far into other countries? He couldn’t be that well known, could he?

“How far has information spread about me?” His brow furrows. Rana looks surprised.

“You don’t know? There are rumors all over the place. You’re well known.” Byer says.

“I’ve only been in the military for two years. Sometimes, people I come across call me the ‘hero of the people’, but I don’t know why they call me that. All I do is stop rogue alchemists and help people fix things.”

He’s never understood why people call him that. He takes down rogue alchemists because that’s what his missions require. He only restored the things asked of him because he felt it was the right thing to do, he gained nothing from it. He enjoyed helping people in desperate need of help. In all honesty, he enjoyed saving others. It was the bright side of a job he hated. He never asked for anything in return. He didn’t feel like he deserved that title at all.

“That’s where you’re wrong, kid. They call you a hero because you help them willingly. All those people you’ve helped, you’ve never turned a single one down. They only had to ask once, and you did it.” 

Ed stares dumbfounded. They really thought he was a hero. Well, if they thought he was, then there was no way he would convince them otherwise. He sighed, letting his head thump back against the metal wall. 

He was deep in thought when Kalan spoke up. 

“A-Are the rumors about your alchemy true?” He spoke quietly, as if scared.

“What rumors?” 

“That can do alchemy without a transmutation circle and your automail allows you to do it?” Kalan squeaks.

Ed chuckled. Well, he was half right. 

“Yeah, I can do it without a circle. The automail does nothing to let me, though.”

Kalan nodded. He relaxed. Everything turned quiet for a bit.

Ed looked around him, finally taking in his surroundings. They were in a truck, that was clear from all the jostling. Where were they going and what did the Drachman’s want with these people? He had thought he was all they wanted, but if that were true then what were all these people doing here?

He looked silently at the little group. They didn’t look like the type of people that would stand out in a crowd. They looked...normal. Very normal. He probably would’ve ignored them in a regular crowd. His mind is swirling with questions and he finally asks the biggest one on his mind. 

“Why are you all here? They made it sound like I was the only one that’s needed.”

Byer and Rana looked at each other. They then looked at Jenaja and Kalan, who nodded.

“Have the rumors not made their way to Amestris? Rana’s green eyes gazed questionably into his.

Ed shook his head. Rumors? He hadn’t heard any rumors about Drachman’s searching for a way to use alchemy. Maybe Mustang or the higher-ups had, but he hadn’t.

Byer shakily sighed. “There are rumors that the Drachman’s are gathering alchemists. Any they can find. It’s well known how they don’t like Amestrians. Rumors in Aerugo say that they're using alchemists to create a weapon. Nobody knows what the weapon is, but it could apparently cause massive destruction.”

“How do you know all of this? Detailed rumors like those could only from inside the military, right?”

Rana nodded. “That’s correct. I’m a captain in the Aerugo military. Colonel Kisins, who I work under, has been hearing of these rumors for over a month now.”

If a colonel in Aerugo had heard about these rumors, then why hadn’t colonel Mustang mentioned them? Unless he thought it wasn’t his place to tell Ed. He wouldn’t have put it past the man to hide information like that.

“And this... weapon, does Aerugo know what it could be?”

Rana shook her head. “Nobody is taking it seriously, even colonel Kisins! He thinks it's a load of crap created directly from the Drachman’s to scare neighboring countries.”

Ed sighed and massaged his aching head. This whole situation was getting complicated. A Drachman weapon? Alchemists disappearing? Could those things be related?

“If they’re after alchemists then that must mean that all of you are alchemists as well?”

“I can do a little alchemy, but I’m not all that good at it,” Kalan spoke up. Ed looked at each of them, Jenaja and Byer nodded in agreement. 

“I’ve mastered water alchemy. I’m the equivalent to what you Amestrian’s call a state alchemist.” Rana turned her palms up and showed him the symbol for water tattooed on her palm. 

“If the three of you are not very good at alchemy, then why catch you and bring you along?”

“I don’t know, but one minute I was taking a shortcut to work, and the next minute I felt something hit my head and I woke up here.” Rana reached to rub the back of her head.

“Any idea where they’re taking us?” Ed gingerly stood up, careful to mind his aching ribs. 

He looked down at the metallic handcuffs. Now that he had a better look at them, they looked more like manacles then anything else. The funny thing was that they weren’t even restricting his hands. It wouldn’t be a problem for him to transmute a way out of the truck and stop the Drachman’s driving it.

Ed smirked and clapped.

And nothing happened. 

He frowned, something definitely should’ve happened. He clapped his hands, Again and again, nothing happened each time. Ed could barely swallow down the rising panic in his throat. He couldn’t transmute, something was stopping him, most likely the manacles. 

He kicked the door and cursed loudly, drawing the attention of Rana.

“What’s wrong?”

“These Damn manacles, they aren’t letting me transmute.”

She walked over to him, taking his cuffed hands to look.

“These are different from what we have.” She held up her hands, which were regularly handcuffed.

“Looks like they're smarter than I thought.” Ed sighed, running his fingers through his bangs.

He slid down and wrapped his arms around his knees, wincing as his ribs ached. Rana joined him. She watched him for a second before leaning her hand back and staring at the other end of the truck.

“Any idea where we’re going?” He asked, breaking the silence.

“I heard them say Monnow and then to Antyau.”

“Antyau.” He whispered the name, rolling it around to see if he could recognize it.

It sounded so familiar but from where? Had he heard Mustang mention it or had he heard about it from one of his missions. It was on the tip of his tongue! He shut his eyes tightly and tried to think.

It finally came to him a few minutes later. Antyau! 

Families were disappearing from there. Local authorities couldn’t seem to figure out why. Antyau was a small town. It had a population of a thousand people. It was mainly a mining town. They mainly dug for coal and other minerals for fuel. For the most part, it was abandoned. 

A few years ago, the mine collapsed, burying fifty people. Five were discovered dead when the rubble was cleared away. After that, the mine was shut down, deemed to be too dangerous. With the mines shut down, many families had nowhere to go. Some stayed, some left, and some disappeared.

It was unknown where those that disappeared went. One day they’d be in their homes, trying to find a new job, then the next, just gone! All that was left were signs of small struggles. Unfortunately, there was no evidence. The town was all but abandoned six months after the mines collapsed.

So what would the Drachman’s want with an abandoned mining town? The mines were too unsafe to go in and there was the risk of another collapse. It just didn’t make a lot of sense to Ed.

“If I were a Drachman I’d hold the alchemists I was catching further into the country. Seems easier to get more of them that way.” He cards his hands through his sticky bangs.

“Maybe there’s a reason for that.” Rana stood and stretched. She walked back to her previous spot and laid on her back.

“Not much we can do in here. We’ll just have to wait and see. Get some sleep, we don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow.”

Ed sighed and gingerly found a comfortable position where he didn’t ache. The faint light that had shown from underneath the opening had disappeared an hour before. It was dark now. How long had it been since he’d been captured?

His mind drifted to Al and Winry and he tried not to think of what Al’s reaction to him being captured. His heart ached when he thought about Mustang breaking the news to Al. He and his little brother were always together. It was rare that they’d ever be separated.

He turned on his side, allowing the coolness to stop the stinging of the cut on his cheek. Regret tugged tightly at his heart. He should’ve talked to his little brother. He felt a sharp ache when he thought about how worried his brother would be. 

His little brother was thirteen. Winry would be right there with him, but the only family he had left was being taken somewhere, many miles from all that he knew. Al was his rock, but he was just as much as Al’s rock. He’d never told him this. He never wanted to think of the person he’d be without Al.

He hadn’t stopped to think of the type of person Al would be without him. _Oh, god._ Tears tugged at his eyes and he blinked them away. 

He’d never felt homesick before, but as he thought about Al, he was. The homesickness hurt even harder as he thought of Winry. 

He’d left her. He’d kissed her and just left. What kind of idiot left the love of their life just like that? 

He sighed and shut his eyes. What’s done was done. He couldn’t fix the things he wished that he could now. He hoped Al was ok without him. He hoped Winry was with Al, not regretting what she’d done.

That was all he could hope for as he drifted off into the clutches of sleep.

* * *

It couldn’t have been but an hour or so later when Ed was awakened by someone. A hand was on his shoulder. His eyes flew open and he grabbed the hand. He relaxed when Byer’s alarmed face looked down at him.

“They stopped.”

Ed sat up quickly and swiveled around to face the door. Jenaja and the others joined him, listening for any signs of movement.

“Have we made it to Monnow?” He whispered.

Before she could answer, the sound of scraping metal made its way to his ears. His eyes narrowed onto the door.

The door was shoved open seconds later and the sight of three Drachman’s met him. They looked at him and then each other, speaking quickly in their language. His hackles rose when one climbed onto the back, holding a weird-looking collar. 

The Drachman roughly grabbed his manacles and shoved him to the entrance. He was roughly pushed to his knees once out of the truck. The two other Drachman’s placed themselves on either side of him, keeping him on his knees.

He changed his expression into a look of boredom as Petrovich made his way from around the corner of the truck. 

Petrovich studied him for a moment, taking in his bored expression and bruised face. He then spoke in Drachman to the man that had pulled him out. They conversed for a second before Petrovich is handed the metal collar and a syringe.

Ed jerks back when the man roughly grabs his bangs, dragging his head forward. “Don’t touch me!” He throws his head back, teeth bared in a snarl, and golden eyes burning a deep fire.

Petrovich sighs, nodding to the Drachman behind him. Ed’s shoved forward and onto his stomach, his arms pulled behind him. He bucks his hips, snarling at the Drachman’s and trying to throw them off of him.

A knee jabs into his back, pinning him. His face is shoved into the dirt. Petrovich kneels in the edges of his vision. The pinch of the needle is fast and he barely realizes that it’s penetrated his skin until Petrovich backs up.

All at once, a dull pain shoots through his head. It’s easy to ignore, but suddenly it sharpens, sending sharp waves of agony shooting through his head. 

_‘What did they inject me with?’_

The thought is interrupted as somehow the pain grows worse.

His automail knee buckles as a sharp agony overtakes his body, sending him pitching forward. Howls of pain are involuntarily forcing itself from his mouth, his stomach revolts and he retches up its contents.

A tearing wave of pain shoots itself up through his stumps and a scream tears itself from his throat. A sob works its way into his heaving breaths. 

A sharp cry of agony forces its way out of him as his stumps try tearing themselves apart. He can’t think, can’t breathe. The pain is overwhelming him and writhes, trying to find some comfort.

It’s like that _night_.

The night Al lost his body and his arm and leg were ripped from him.

_‘He’s my little brother! He’s all I have left!’_

But Al isn’t there. Nobody is here trying to stop the sharp wails of agony tearing their way from his throat.

His limbs feel like their on fire. Like the time Mustang had to burn a wound of his shut or he’d bleed out. The fire digs into his core, tearing him apart piece by piece, burning him to ash.

He curls into a ball and the memories flash before his eyes.

_Reaching for Al._

_Al’s being stripped away. He’s almost there! So close to touching him._

_His little brother screams as the truth rips him away._

_He’s all alone. He screams for his brother, but he doesn’t answer. Pain rips through the stump of his left leg. He failed. He failed his little brother. He screams in pain as blood floods from the stump._

The pain tears him apart and with one last howl of agony, his mind fades out.

* * *

“Ed!”

“Ed”

The voices were screaming his name. His mind works through the fog and he remembers what happened. His eyes fly open and he gasps, back arching off the floor.

He pants, panicked eyes looking everywhere they could. His heart is pounding in his chest. The sharp, mind-numbing agony has lessened to a dull ache whenever he moves.

Someone cups his face in their hands and his eyes slide open. His vision is blurry and doesn’t want to focus, but Jenaja comes into view. 

“Ed, I know it hurts, but I need to know where the pain is centralizing and what it feels like.”

He can barely think through the haze of pain his mind is in to determine where the pain is coming from.

His flesh fingers are pried apart and a hand settles itself in them and he tightens his fingers around the hand.

“Focus on my hand. Then focus on where it hurts.” Rana’s voice speaks close to his hear. 

She stares into his pain glazed eyes and he searches for where it hurts the worst.

“R-Right shoulder. Where automail meets the skin.” He croaks, his throat raw from crying out in agony.

He feels Jenaja move the clothing over the area. His fingers brushed the area and his world spins.

A sharp cry pulls itself from his lips and his back arches, trying for an escape. His chest heaves with painfilled breaths.

“Sorry, Ed. I had to confirm my theory about what they inserted.”

“What the hell was it?” His eyes crack open to glare into hers.

“A device inserted into the bloodstream that causes pain when activated. It’s only used in Xing and it’s banned in quite a few countries.”

“It felt...like my limbs were trying to tear themselves apart. Still feels like it.” His head lolled into the cool floor, cooling his sweat-drenched face. He groaned as he felt something slightly uncomfortable digging into his neck.

“Temporary after effects. It shouldn’t last very long. I think they used it to distract you from them putting that collar on your.”

“Collar?” His left hand weakly reaches up and feels a metal collar flush against the skin. 

“You had no manacles when you were thrown back in here. The collar must do the same thing.” 

He grunted, shutting his eyes. The pain had exhausted his body, physically and mentally.

He laid there for a moment before forcing himself up into a sitting position.

Jenaja’s hands pushed his hands back down.

"You need to rest. You’ll feel much better after you do.”

He rolled his eyes. The pain had finally disappeared and all that was left was fatigue.

“Doesn’t hurt anymore. ‘M fine.”

Jenaja sighed. “At least rest your eyes. I heard them say it was only two or three hours until we get to Monnow.” 

“Fine. Not going to sleep though.” 

Jenaja sighed. She and Rana moved out of his sight to talk amongst each other.

Ed winced as he shifted. Maybe it would do himself some good to sleep.

He stared up at the ceiling as his eyes blurred with exhaustion. 

The pain was gone, nothing more than a dull ache. However, he would never forget what it had turned him into. A child.

A child with two missing limbs who was getting in way over his head.

* * *

**If you'd like to contact me to talk or request a fic, follow me on Instagram @extrawestallen, on twitter @wests_barry, ff.net @sarahpuryear, and Tumblr @alchemicwestallen**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do we think of these new people? Where do y'all think the Drachman's are taking Ed and what do you think their intention is? Let me apologize once again for the pacing. The next chapter will have a much better pace. I hope you all are enjoying and feel free to leave a comment and tell me what you think!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, Y'all! So sorry for taking a bit longer to upload than usual! My summer break has started and I got busy watching Death Note and playing Assassin's Creed III on the switch. I've decided that there might be a little more space in between uploads now that I have more time. I hope that's alright. Anyways, I really don't like how this chapter turned out, but I think it got the point across and I really like the ending. I really appreciate all of the comments, kudos, and readers. I'm really thankful! I really hope that you will like this chapter and leave a comment and tell me what you think!

Central Headquarters was almost always empty at night. It only ever contained guards who were protecting its secrets. Tonight, however, it contained a morose, inebriated colonel Mustang. Working hours had ended hours ago, but the man had not left.

He had stayed longer, trying to find anything that would lead to a start on how to find the kid. He took another swig and hissed as the alcohol burned his throat. The memory wouldn’t go away, no matter how much he drank.

He couldn’t get the sight of the kid out of his head. They hadn’t made it. The sight of the kid hanging limply over one of those Drachman bastards shoulders with a bloody face shot rage through Roy that he didn’t know he had in him.

He had called the kid’s name, trying to reassure him that he’d get to him. His fingers were poised to snap, but he froze the moment he saw Ed’s golden eyes slip shut, blood trickling from a broken looking nose.

It couldn’t have been more than a second that he’d been frozen. He’d been startled out of his trance by Hawkeye pushing him to the ground. The explosion came a second later, a smoke bomb. When the smoke had cleared, the Drachman’s were gone...along with Fullmetal.

He takes another sip of whiskey and rakes a hand over his face, his mind, fogged and slow. God, he was a mess. It had been three days since the kid had been taken, two since he’d gotten any sleep over scouring for a lead. He shouldn’t have started drinking. It was only going to prolong how long the kid was suffering.

He releases a shaky sigh. It was slightly easier to think when one was drunk. It was even easier for the guilt to take over. Right now, he couldn’t get the last conversation he had with Ed out of his head. 

He had to look the kid’s brother in the face and tell him that he hadn’t made it to Ed in time. His heart throbbed as he remembered the armor trembling and shaking and releasing tears that he couldn’t cry. The kid spent the past three days desperately helping him look for any lead to where Ed could be.

He bares his teeth and throws the cup, glass shattering. He can’t stop the tears threatening to fall. God, he was a bastard. He should’ve made it on time. He should’ve never put the kid’s little brother through that.

_‘God, kid. Where are you? Your little brother needs you, I need to apologize to you. Please, I just need one simple sign.’_

Ed was fourteen! Just a kid! He should be doing things that other fourteen-year-olds did. He shouldn’t even have to be in the military. That was his fault too. He’d taken a bright, good kid and uprooted him from all that he knew. It had been the kid’s choice to take the exam, but he was the one to plant the idea in his mind.

“Damn it!” He tosses the papers from his desk. This wouldn’t have happened if he’d just listened to the kid. Ed had been under his command long enough for him to know that he could make some good plans. 

He wondered what plan the kid could have made right before the Drachman’s took him. The tears threaten again when he thinks of Ed’s small body being beaten, bloodied, you name it. They wouldn’t show mercy to a kid. They never did to an adult.

Would they even save the kid before the Drachman’s could beat information out of him? Edward was strong, but, he’d never be able to withstand Drachman torture techniques. 

That sends the tears streaking down his cheeks. A sob escapes from lips and he presses his hands against his face. He crumples to the floor, burying his face in his knees.

“Colonel?” He jumps and looks up quickly. Riza is standing at the door, a bewildered but worried expression on her face.

He swipes away the tears and clears his throat. It’s hard to look at her face due to what he’ll see. Nobody has said that they blame him, but he knows that Alphonse must.

“Lieutenant, I told you to go home.” His voice is shaky, but he doesn’t care, she’s seen him after worse tragedies, like Hughes.

“Sir, I can’t leave you with how much you’re drinking.” She pries the bottle away from his fingers, screwing the cap back on and hiding it in her coat.

“Roy, are you ok?” His head lifts at that. A small smile comes to his lips. Her brown eyes are filled with concern for him. She only ever called him ‘Roy’ if they were alone. 

She walks to him and bends down. He can’t stop himself from burying his face in his shoulder, something he did when he was her father’s apprentice. She freezes for a moment before placing her hand in his hair and cradling it.

They shouldn’t be doing this, they decided that long ago, but he needs her now. More than ever. Before he can control them, the sobs force themselves out of him. He feels so guilty for laying this out on her. She has her own guilt to deal with. She shouldn’t have to help him shoulder is.

“Riza, are we ever going to find a lead?” He sounds so helpless, he hates himself for it. 

She pulls back, staring him in the eyes. “We will. He’s the youngest state alchemist in history. We’ve been on missions with him before, you’ve seen what he can do with vastly stronger enemies.”

“How can you be sure?”

She pulls back, a firey resolve in her eyes.

“That kid had automail surgery to replace two limbs at the same time. From the things I’ve heard, its next to impossible without being immobilized due to pain. He did it at eleven. If he can do that, then I’m sure he can withstand whatever the Drachman’s throw at him.”

Riza was right, she usually was. The thought of the kid’s pain tolerance hadn’t even occurred to him. The kid had an unbelievably high tolerance. He remembers being horrified on a mission when the kid had been stabbed in his right thigh. The kid should’ve been on the ground, crying out in pain. He didn’t, he stood up and let Roy drag him to the nearest hospital, not even wincing as the wound was stitched.

Roy had always figured that it was due to adrenaline. He never had connected the dots between automail surgery and pain tolerance. He kicks himself, the kid was probably mocking the Drachman’s, egging them on for more as they spoke. That didn’t stop the guilt or worry in his heart. No fourteen-year-old kid should have to go through something a grown man did.

“You’re right, he’s a strong kid. I just hope he knows he’ll be able to hold up through it.”

“He’s unique in that way. He’s been through a lot in just a few years.”

He nodded, pulling Riza into his arms and pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Let’s get you back home.” She helps him to his feet, catching him when he stumbles.

“Will you stay for tonight?”

“Roy…” Her eyes warn him. He hears the warning in her voice. They could get caught. Its always been a possibility, but it’s just for tonight. She’s what he needs.

“Just for tonight.” He says, searching her eyes.

She sighs. “Just for tonight.”

She helps him to his car and on the drive there, his mind drifts to the kid, wondering what hell he could be raising at the moment.

* * *

The night was unusually cold or that’s what Winry told him. Alphonse wasn’t able to feel how cold it was as he sat on the grass. He hadn’t been able to feel anything for the past few years.

A metallic sigh escapes him and wraps his gauntlets around his knees. It was lonely without Ed. It’d been three whole days since his brother was taken. Three whole days since his world came crashing to the ground when Mustang told him that he hadn’t been able to get to Ed in time.

The anguish hits him as hard as it did three days ago. His unfeeling, metallic fingers fist the grass, pulling up chunks. He should’ve listened to his brother. He had blown off Ed’s plan as stupid and hadn’t even listened to what he could’ve possibly thought up. Ed made amazing plans when he had time to prepare.

He had intended to talk to Ed eventually sometime during that night. He’d gone to the cell and found Winry curled around Ed, sleeping. If he’d had a face, he’d of smiled. He gently woke Winry, who told him that Ed had gone back to sleep, the drug still affecting him. 

So he left. He had intended on coming back a little later, he really had. It felt something was stopping him every time he even thought about going back to holding cells.

Alphonse realizes now that it was guilt. How could have faced his brother after holding him down and letting the team knock him out? He should’ve gone to see Ed anyway. He knew his brother. Winry had told him that Ed hadn’t been angry with him when he woke up. 

That brought another thought to his mind. Winry had let Ed go. He didn’t blame his closest friend. Ed was good at getting people to listen to his reasonings, along with the fact that Al was pretty sure something had happened between his brother and Winry when they went off on that walk. 

Once again, a metallic sigh pulls itself from Al. 

He was annoyed with Winry, yes, but he wasn’t angry. These past few days Winry looked at him with multiple emotions in her eyes. She would open her mouth and try to say something but would then close it and look away. She probably blamed herself but he didn’t blame her in the slightest.

“Al?” 

He jumps and spins around quickly. Speak of the devil. Winry’s blue eyes are bloodshot and she looks as if she’s just woken up.

“What’re you doing up, Winry? It’s really late.”

She sighs, gingerly settling herself down beside him and leaning against his shoulder.

“Winry?”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

There was more to what she was saying. Al knew that there was something Winry didn’t want to say, but he wasn’t going to press her on it.

He sighs, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. She presses her face into his side and he realizes she’s shaking.

“Winry, are you ok?” 

Panic fills him when he hears her let out a sob. He’s always been good with calming down his brother but never has he had to calm down Winry. He’d never had any experience with calming down girls!

“I’m sorry, Al. I shouldn’t be crying. I was the one who let him go. I have no right to miss him.” She tried to calm herself down but only succeeded in making herself cry harder.

“Winry. It’s ok. I don’t blame you.” He pleaded, he was panicking badly, he hated seeing Winry cry and he didn’t know how to stop her tears.

After a while, Winry’s sobs slowed and turned into hiccups as she tried to stop crying. She wiped her face and turned her big blue eyes to him.

“Do you really not blame me, Al? I let him go, I should’ve known better.” Her voice shook.

He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Winry, I know my brother. He’s very good at convincing people of things.”

Winry shook her head. “He didn’t have to convince me to let him go.”

That surprised him. Winry was usually able to convince Ed that what he was doing wasn’t the right thing to do. So why did he not have to convince her? Unless there was something else going on

“Why didn’t he have to convince you? Does this have anything to do with you and him alone together while I was planning with Mustang?”

She freezes for a second before relaxing and releasing a sigh.

“Ed and I have been together for over a year now. The other night, he said that he wanted us to officially be a thing…” Winry swallows and her eyes fill with tears once again.

“He told me he loved me, Al. I was so happy, he was too. We laid on the grass for the longest time, just talking. On the way back he told me about what he had to do. He knew that what he was going to do was probably going to get him captured,” Winry swallowed and wiped her eyes.

“After he woke up, colonel Mustang visited and I heard them arguing. He said some really harsh things to Ed, things Ed has regretted every day. Mustang thought the plan was ridiculous, but when I listened, it made a lot of sense. Before I helped him, he promised me that he’d make it out,”

A shaky sigh left her lips. “Now, I just don’t know if what I did was right. If something happens over there, I don’t know if I could ever forgive myself.” She pressed her face into Al’s side.

That...That was a lot of information for him to take in. It wasn’t hard to understand why Winry had done what she had done. She was in love and so was his brother. Love made you do things sometimes that you wouldn’t have done otherwise. 

“Winry, I get it. You and Brother are in love. That just makes people do things that they normally wouldn’t. You felt what you were doing was right. I don’t blame you.”

“I felt like I was doing the right thing! I just don’t know now!” She yelled, fresh spilling from her eyes.

“Look at me Winry.” His voice is surprisingly serious.

She does and he stares into her bright blue eyes.

“That doesn’t matter right now. All that matters is that we get him back, then we can yell at him for being an idiot.

Winry laughed at that. He’d always loved hearing her laugh. He suddenly remembered when they were younger, he and Ed fighting over Winry, Winry rolling her eyes at them. She always chose him or Ed every other week. 

He finds himself missing that as Winry curls around him, eyes drooping.

“I’m taking you back now, Winry. You need your sleep.” Winry groaned but didn’t fight him on it.

He picked her up, she was light, not that he could really feel any type of weight with his body. He was suddenly struck by the promise that Ed made to Winry. Ed _only_ made promises if he intended to follow them. 

Hope filled his heart, his brother was determined to make it out of this, one way or another.

* * *

“We’ve stopped.”

“Are you sure?”

Ed perked up, breaking from the near sleep that he’d been close to, suddenly wide awake. 

It’d been three days since Ed had awoken in the truck. It had only stopped to insert that drug in his system (His limbs still ached a little) and to refuel and throw scraps of cold food when they reached marrow.

They hadn’t stopped for over two days now. Something that was of great interest to Ed. It was like they had a time limit or something of the sort.

“How long do you think it’s been?” He listened carefully for any external sounds.

“No longer than five minutes,” Byer says, eyes narrowed, listening for anything.

They listened for a few minutes before the door of the truck was lifted open.

Ed’s eyes narrowed at the Drachman that appeared in the entrance. The man’s dark eyes surveyed each of them before landing on Ed.

The Drachman turned around and barked something in his language and another one appeared beside him. “Boy,” He pointed at Ed.

Ed didn’t move, choosing to glare at the man and bare his teeth in a snarl. Something is said between the two men and they both hop into the truck, black cloth in of the man’s hands. He stares at it, determining it to be a blindfold.

He growled as they stepped up in front of him, watching in the corner of his eye as the others watched intensely at what the Drachman’s were doing.

The bigger of the two grabbed his shoulder and managed to wrestle his arms behind his back. Ed growled low in the back of his throat as the other one quickly placed the blindfold around his head.

He was shoved off the truck and he quickly noticed that it was colder. 

_‘We’re probably in Antyau now.’_

The Drachman bastard pushed him and he stumbled, trying not to fall. 

Drachman voices spoke all around him as he and his guards made their way to wherever they were going. Wherever they were smelled, like how it smelled after the rain had finally stopped and the sun came out.*

The smell changed as they walked up a set of stairs and growling met his ears.

Wait...growling?

It didn’t sound a thing like any animal he knew. 

The thought is broken by the squealing of a door. He’s pushed and planted onto something, arms, and legs restrained to the chair. The blindfold is taken off.

Ed shakes his head, allowing for his vision to clear before he can see where he’s at. He frowns, there’s not enough light to fully see his surroundings. Light from a few hanging bulbs cast shadows around him.

Through the shadows, something moves, Ed can’t see well enough to figure out what it is but the growling coming from it. His heart freezes as the shadow creeps closer, eyes glinting.

Terror shoots through his veins as the creature comes into the nearby light. A chimera, one that has the upper half of a wolf and the lower half of a lion, sharp claws and all.

He looks into yellow eyes and his breath catches. 

_‘W-Why hasn’t it attacked yet? Why is it here? I should be dead by now.’_

Ed shifts nervously and the golden eyes of the chimera narrow, yellow teeth bared into a snarl. The face is what scares him the most. It is of a wolf, yes, but the eyes looked as if they had intelligence that didn’t belong to them and there was something so decidedly human.

He gasped. The Drachman’s...they were making chimeras? How was that possible? Drachman’s didn’t have alchemists, at the most they were very hard to find in Drachma. 

Ed felt sick to his stomach. They had most likely turned _something_ into this...this creature.

The Chimera’s ears prick up and it looks past him. The door then opens with a loud screech.

The chimera relaxes, a Drachman voice talking to it. A man in a white coat comes into Ed’s point of view, a stool with him. The Drachman pats the Chimera’s head and settles himself on the stool.

“Who are you? Where am I?” He snarls at the man. “And why are Chimera’s here?”

The man’s green eyes regard him with interest. The man looks down at the notepad in his hands and then back at Ed.

“Edward Elric, The Fullmetal Alchemist?” 

“Yeah, and who wants to know?”

The man chuckles, amusement sparkling in his eyes.

“I am Dr. Yanovich. I have heard of your escapades in Amestris. They interest me greatly.”

‘It would also make this go easier if we agree to not lie, my young friend.”

“Sure.”

Ed snorted at the word ‘escapade’

“What’s there to know? I’ve been doing my job.”

Dr. Yanovich’s green eyes narrow. “Yes, but you cause quite a bit of destruction everywhere you go, no?”

Ed chose not to answer that, maintaining the look of boredom on his face. 

Dr. Yanovich ignored his nonanswer and continued on, “I’ve been told by many of my country’s loyal soldiers that you can use alchemy without a transmutation circle.”

Ed stiffened a little at that. “How would they know that? The last time I encountered a Drachman was two years ago.”

Yanovich chuckles and Ed doesn’t get what’s so funny. “There are many of my people everywhere in your country, my young friend. They tell me all that’s needed is clapping, provided nothing is stopping you.” 

Yanovich looked at the collar around Ed’s neck. “Unfortunately, a demonstration isn’t possible now, but it could be if you cooperated. Your alchemy is something that has interested my superiors for a very long time now. They would like to know how it works.”

Ed searched his mind, looking for a lie to give the doctor. He was not telling this man how it had happened, Human Transmutation was not something to be played with.

He finally came up with a good one, one that made little sense to him but would hopefully make a lot of sense to the doctor.

“I taught myself. I read countless books and learned from them.”

Yanovich’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “I thought we agreed not to lie to each other, Elric.”

Ed swallowed harshly. “I’m telling you the truth, Doctor.” He said, calmly. 

The doctor sighs, all friendliness was gone from his face. “Interesting, so those metal limbs wouldn’t have anything to do with you being able to perform alchemy without a circle?”

“T-Those are from an accident in my hometown when I was younger.”

Yanovich’s green eyes glinted a mysterious light. “Yet according to residents from Resembool, it is Resembool if I’m correct, you and that brother of yours were not seen for months and when you appeared again he was in a metal suit and you had two metal limbs.”

Ed stared wide-eyed at the man. He couldn’t have known all of these things! It was impossible. 

Yanovich scooted closer to him and Ed had to stop himself from recoiling at the smell of the man’s breath. 

“You committed Human Transmutation when you were eleven and your brother was ten. Your mother died. Isn’t it funny that you committed an Alchemist’s ultimate taboo a year to the day she died?”

_‘He knows! How does he know!’_

To say Ed was horrified was an understatement. This doctor...he knew. How could he have known? How had his worst mistake been found out? It didn’t seem possible for anyone to find out unless a lot of thorough digging was done.

“H-How…” he trailed off, not knowing what he should even say to the man. 

What would happen now? Would the Drachman’s try to find out how to use Human Transmutation to be able to use alchemy without a circle? That was impossible. One had to know alchemy to even be able to do that.

“We have our ways, Mr. Elric. We have our ways of gaining important information. That is unimportant now. What is important is that you must help us learn the art of alchemy so we can learn to transmute without a circle. You see, we are building something that requires alchemy to power it,”

The doctor looked behind Ed before continuing.

“It has taken many months to get to the starting stages of what is being built. It would help greatly if all of the soldiers and scientists here could learn alchemy. I would be able to get you out of the mines if you just helped us. It would save you so much hardship.”

Ed’s teeth bared and he pulled at his restraints. “Human Transmutation is not something to be messed with! I will never help any of you bastards! There are tolls that are paid and I still haven’t paid all of mine!”

His golden eyes burned with anger as he stared at the man, who’s face changed into interest.

“Well, we could learn of the tolls. You can teach us as you help us.”

Uncontrollable rage flooded Ed’s veins. He wanted to beat this man senseless. The man didn’t understand, people lost parts of their bodies through Human Transmutation. It was no something that should be messed with and the truth wasn’t very kind. He was lucky he’d even escaped with only a leg and arm missing.

“I’d rather rot in hell.” He hissed.

Yanovich’s face tightens, his mouth curling upwards into an angered smile.

He stands up and grabs Ed’s braid, forcing his head mere inches from his own. 

“I had hoped that you would want to cooperate with us. I’d hoped to save you from the mines, but if you insist on not cooperating, then there’s nothing I can do.”

The doctor wrapped a hand around his throat and Ed’s eyes widened as his windpipe is closed.

He can’t breathe! 

The doctor’s angered face swims before him as he wheezes, trying to force any semblance of air into his burning lungs, but the man doesn’t let go.

The doctor’s voice echoes in his ears and he strains his ears through the oncoming darkness to listen. 

“Perhaps hard labor will convince you in time. You will not be the first to be broken by it and you certainly will not be the last…”

The last thing Ed feels before the darkness swallows him whole is his bonds releasing and the cold, hard ground underneath him.

* * *

He doesn’t feel himself come to. One minute, blackness is all he sees and the next is the sharpening of whatever is above him. He blinks, once, twice, and suddenly there are faces above him.

Their faces show relief and he groans. His left hand travels to his throat, feeling for the bruise. A small flash of pain flies through him. His throat must be bruised.

His eyes open and he tries to sit up, his aching body doesn’t want him to. It seemed as if these people could sense it because multiple hands are helping him sit up.

“Did they hurt you?” A man asks, his voice worried.

Ed looks at the man. The man is skinny as if he hadn’t eaten in weeks. He looks at the woman touching his shoulder and she looks the same, only her cheekbones showed predominantly through his skin.

“Young man?”

Ed jolts, his eyes traveling back to the man in front of him. The man’s hand rests on his knee.

“Yeah. I’m alright, the doctor got a little rough with me.”

He hears gasps from the people around him, their eyes widened. More people are approaching from the rows of cots. He suppressed a shiver, they all looked so skinny. His eyes widened a little when small faces peeked from behind some of the women. They had...they had kids here!

“Are...Are you the alchemist we’ve been hearing about?” The man from before asked, he must’ve been the one in charge.

“How do you mean?”

The man’s eyes travel to the collar around his neck. His eyes widen and a gasp escapes his lips.

“You are! You’re Edward Elric! We’ve heard that you were coming!”

Ed doesn’t really even know what to say to that. 

“W-We heard you were coming. Perhaps to free us from this. We didn’t believe it, we all haven’t been able to talk about it, we haven’t been able to gather.” A woman speaks up, her brown eyes misty with tears.

“Hold on, I need to know, where am I? What is this place?”

The man sighs, “You’re in the area of the compound where materials are mined. I’m surprised the Fullmetal Alchemist would be here. I thought he would’ve been with all of the alchemists that have been captured and are having experiments performed on them.”

Ed’s eyes widened at that. The other alchemists...Rana, Byer, Jenaja, were they having experiments done to them?

“I came here with people! Some of them were alchemists, they told me a little about this place.”

The man’s expression fell. “They’re dead. Our captors have no use for alchemists that are no good at alchemy. They will be experimented on, all for the meaningless hope that in their bodies lies what our captors are looking for.”

“How can they do that! Alchemy isn’t biological!” He yelled. Some of the people flinched back.

“It doesn’t matter to them. They’re on a desperate search. If you’re here, that must mean they desperately want something from you and you won’t give it to them.”

Ed’s rage nearly spilled over. Rana...Byer...the others, he hadn’t known them more than a few days. How could the Drachman’s base how much an alchemist knew without even seeing them perform it? 

“You mentioned the mines. What are they digging up? What are they searching for?”

“They haven’t told us. They want gems, coal, any precious minerals they can get their hands on.”

“All of you work in the mines? Even these children?”

Ed’s golden eyes turned towards the kids. They looked so impossibly young. The oldest couldn’t have been more than eight. He shied behind his mother as Ed’s eyes landed on him.

“They are desperate, Fullmetal Alchemist. They demand work. If we don’t work, we die. They don’t care who does it. That’s what they told us the day we were brought here.” 

“I refused to help them. I told the doctor that I would rather die.”

The man’s face somehow fell even further.

“That is why you are here. With stronger alchemists, they throw them to the mines, wait for them to break under the stress. With the weaker alchemists, they kill them. They have no use for inconvenience.”

“They won’t break me. They don’t know all that I’ve been through.”

The man glanced at his automail and then back at the golden eyes burning with a raging fire.

Then the man smiled as if he knew something.

The man turned back to all of the people close behind him.

“He will not be easy to break. This might be our chance to finally get out of here.”

A flash of annoyance flickered through him. What was he talking about?

“What’s this ‘chance’ you’re talking about?”

“You are different, Edward Elric. I do not know what it is about you or how long it will take, but I believe that you are the one that will save us.”

“I don’t know the first thing about being trapped in a prison compound! I came here without anyone!”

How could they expect him to save them without a plan? Without any backup How could they put this responsibility on him?

How could they expect him to save them when he didn’t even know what the Drachman’s were planning?

But these people were desperate. He saw the way their skinny forms held themselves, how they held their children with eyes beginning to fill with newfound hope as they looked at him.

Damn it! He was only fourteen!

Yes, he was only fourteen...

But he was the only hope that they had left.

* * *

**if you’d like to contact me, follow me on twitter @wests_barry, instagram @extrawestallen, and tumblr @alchemicwestallen**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all! I'm back! So sorry for taking so long, I've been procrastinating this a little bit. I hope y'all are doing well and enjoyed the last chapter. This chapter is a little shorter and is mainly filler but is important because it introduces a very important character to Ed. I hope y'all will want to form a circle of protection around him once you meet him. I also hope that y'all don't mind my writing style. I've been worrying about that and some of the characters being a little OOC. I think I just worry too much. Anyways, I really appreciate the comments, kudos, and views on this story. Feel free to leave a comment and tell me what y'all think! Enjoy

Roy was surprised when Hawkeye told him the Fuhrer wanted to speak with him. He didn't know the man very well at all; he'd only been around him a few times throughout his career. So he was curious, to say the least when he went to the man's office. 

It had been a whole two weeks since Ed had gone missing, he was surprised that Bradley hadn't called him sooner to talk to him about why Fullmetal had disappeared under his watch.

"Fuhrer Bradley, sir." He saluted the man. 

"At ease, Colonel Mustang." The Fuhrer smiled, waving his hand.

Roy stood stiffly as Bradley stood from his desk and turned to the window. He swallowed roughly and waited for the man to admonish him.

"How long has it been the Drachman's took Fullmetal?" The man finally asked, voice curious.

"T-Two weeks, sir. My team has been looking for anything that would help us find him. Unfortunately, we can't find anything through my sources." 

"I'm not surprised; the Drachman's are very hard to track usually."

"Usually, sir?"

Bradley finally turned around, faint amusement on his face. "An hour ago, an informant of ours embedded in Drachma, rendezvoused with his handler, he found something interesting."

Mustang's heart froze in his throat. _Did they discover Ed, please let that be the case!_

"Did they find Fullmetal?"

Bradley shook his head. "No, but they discovered that there had been many movements made over the border into this town called Antyau."

"Antyau? Isn't that town abandoned, sir? What would be of any interest to the Drachman's there?"

Bradley nodded, the amusement slipping off his face, "That's what has me curious as well. Up until a month or two, the movements were occasional, occurring every few weeks at most. Within the past month to two weeks ago, the movements have increased to every other day. Our informant informed us that there was movement seen two days after Fullmetal's capture."

"Then, Fullmetal must have been taken there." Roy kept his tone level, trying not to let the man know how desperate he was and felt.

"It is a possibility, Colonel Mustang. However, we can't be sure."

"You're probably right, sir." Roy felt himself deflate, the news of movement across the border had gotten his hopes up even though he knew there was a small chance it could've been the kid.

"That possibility is too small for me to ignore. Therefore I am sending my informant into Drachma to see what the Drachman's are doing in Antyau. They will report back to me next week with their findings."

That was a good idea, Roy realized. Weekly report ins would be more reliable when figuring out if there were any changes to the movements. It would also allow them to know if the Drachman's were converging in a specific place in Antyau.

"Thank you, sir. I'm very grateful that you're looking into it." Roy made to stand, but Bradley stopped him with a wave of his hand.

"Hold on a minute, Colonel Mustang. Our informant isn't the only reason I asked for you. I believe that you would make for a good leader for the task force that will be investigating the movements across the border, and maybe you'll find your subordinate."

Roy was sure that he was a sight to behold. The leader of Amestris just told him that he was going to be in charge of a considerable task force investigating another country. It was rare that Fuhrer Bradley ever did that.

The man's mirthful laugh broke him out of his daze, and he quickly snapped his attention back to his leader.

"Thank you, sir. I'm very grateful that you're looking into it." Roy made to stand, but Bradley stopped him with a wave of his hand. 

"Don't look so surprised, Colonel Mustang. I've been very impressed with your performance and how you handled missions these past few years. Amestris is very lucky to have you." 

Well Damn.

Roy's shocked expression falls from his face, and he reaches his hand forward to shake Bradley's.

"I'm very grateful. Thank you, sir. I know it must've not been an easy decision."

"Not at all, Colonel Mustang. There's no one else that I'd rather have." The man held out his hand for Roy to shake.

"This means a lot, Fuhrer Bradley; I won't let you down." He said, taking the hand and returning the gesture.

"You're dismissed. The meetings start on Monday, and you have permission to bring in anyone that you see fit." 

* * *

Roy quickly left the office with a smirk on his face. He closed the door quietly and turned to Hawkeye and nodded.

She caught up to his side, and it was silent before she said something. "Good news, sir?"

Roy tried to suppress the smirk on his face, but it wouldn't go away.

"Fuhrer Bradley put me in charge of a task force in charge of tracking Drachman movements around the town of Antyau."

Hawkeye didn't make a sound. He turned to his lieutenant, expecting to see a shocked expression on her face, and was slightly disappointed not to see any hint of surprise on her face.

"You aren't surprised, lieutenant?"

"No, sir. I believed that Fuhrer Bradley would do something like this a while ago."

"You believe in me too much, Lieutenant." His smirk drops from his face, and he set his eyes on the path in front of them.

"No, sir, I wouldn't have told that I would follow you into hell if I didn't believe in you." She says, smile plain as day in her voice, but not showing on her face when he looks at her from the corner of his eye.

His lips curl up in a smile for the first time since Ed's capture, and he hums what might be a small laugh.

"Something funny, sir?"

"No, Lieutenant, nothing at all." It takes a while for the smirk to escape his lips when they get back to his office, and the smirk doesn't go away when he explains the situation to his team.

Maybe, their informant would come through, and they'd be able to find Ed soon.

* * *

"Break time, you maggots!" A heavily accented voice broke through the bustle of activity in the tunnel of the mine.

Ed groans inwardly in relief, letting the pickaxe fall from his grip. His back and shoulder muscles scream in protest as he reaches down to grab his sweat-soaked tank top. His hand combs through his sweat-soaked bangs, brushing them away from his eyes.

Pulling the tank top over his shoulder, he makes his way to the mouth of the mine, nearly sighing in relief as the late Autumn air blows in his face.

He quickly grabs his lunch before the horde of other miners could swarm the area. He sat heavily on a tree stump, watching the activity around him as people made their way from the deepest recesses of the tunnels.

It'd been the same scene day in and day out for two weeks. He'd kept his head down, ensured that he didn't attract attention from the soldiers, and made sure he collected the same amount of crystals daily.

Mining was grueling work, and he was amazed at how none of the people working with him hadn't complained once. Even though it was grueling, he'd rather be in the mines almost all day instead of the barracks, taking care of the sick.

The barracks were a group of seven buildings, filled with fifty people in each barrack. Unfortunately, there were more people than beds, which meant that each person had a bunkmate. 

The close quarters also meant that disease spread easily. Currently, the mumps was spreading around many people in the barracks, and what had the Drachman's done about it?

They had done nothing, absolutely nothing. 

The Drachman's appeared to care very little for the health of their workers. At the minimum, they allowed one thirty-minute break during the workday, fed them, well if you could call what they gave out to eat food. 

He was sure the poor food and the spread of disease caused so many people to die each day.

Oh yeah, that was another thing. _A lot_ of people died. His second-day here, he saw a boy, no older than seven, keel over from heatstroke. 

He shakes his head; he doesn't want to remember the boy's parents holding his lifeless body, begging a soldier to take him to the real infirmary. 

The soldier looked at them, turned to look at his comrade, who nodded and _shot them both in the head._

Their memory of their brain matter spattering against the brown dirt causes Ed to shudder and nearly brings back the panic of the nightmare from the night before.

 _Calm down, breathe. Just keep your head down, and you're fine._ Ed takes a deep, steadying breath, calming his heart. He swallows the heaviness down quickly. 

All these deaths really shouldn't have bothered him as much as they did, he tells himself. He'd seen the bodies of dead people before, hell he'd stumbled upon one searching for their false serial killer.

Granted, he'd had a panic attack and passed out, but over the past few years, he's seen more horrors than anyone his age should be seeing.

Maybe the critical difference was seeing them killed right in front of him, helpless to do anything but watch.

He sighs, dragging his fingers through his bangs. None of this death was his fault; he just didn't know why he couldn't tell that to his mind and heart. It hurt, it hurt watching all of these malnourished people.

God, his heart ached for these people. He couldn't look any of them in the eyes for more than a few seconds; their emptiness was startling. How long had they been in these conditions? It made him sick to think about.

Ed had to bite back the hot rage that built up inside of him. He was going to keep his promise, and he was going to get them out of here. None of these people deserved the treatment that they were receiving. 

_This place is going to be nothing but bricks when I'm done here_. That was a promise Ed was determined to keep; these people were going to get justice. He'd make sure of it.

"A-Are you E-Ed?"

Ed nearly jumps at the small voice that broke through his tremulous thoughts. He turns, ready to scold the person, only stopping once he sees the little boy standing in front of him.

The boy looks up at him with nervous, large hazel eyes and fluffy, light blond hair. The boy shrinks slightly when he looks him up and down, curling tiny fingers into his dirty shirt.

"What can I do for you, kid?" He bends down to the kid's level, smiling at the small boy. He notes how little the boy looked, trying not to frown at the small cut on his forehead.

"M-M-Mr. Jack told me to find you." The kid stammered, blue eyes darting nervously around.

"What does he need me for?" He places his flesh hand on the kid's shoulder, heart falling as he notices the kid's shivering. 

"What's he need me for?" He asks the kid again when he doesn't answer. 

The kid relaxes slightly as if suddenly realizing that Ed wasn't going to harm him. "He didn't say. He just said "'bring back the blonde boy with the metal arm.'"

He ruffles the kid's hair, distantly wondering why Jack would send such a small kid to look after him in a large crowd. Now that he thought about it, this had been the first day that he'd seen the kid around.

He stood up, turning to the kid. "Well, let's go." 

He sets off in the direction he knew Jack was. He was interested in seeing what the man wanted from him. Gentle pressure on his flesh hand causes him to look down, eyes widening in surprise. The boy had latched onto his hand, looking around nervously as Ed walked to his destination.

Ed didn't know what to do. Should he pry the kid's hand away? Let it stay there? What to do, what to do!

He settled for letting the kid hold his hand, a look at the small boy told him that the kid was probably terrified.

He didn't have any more time to think about the boy before he was at his destination. Jack sat on a log beside his wife, Diana. She was his height with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. Jack looked up from beside his wife, smiling when he saw Ed and the young boy.

He stood up when Ed reached them, ruffling the boy's hair. "Thank you for finding him, Ryler."

The small boy squeaked and hid behind Ed's leg. Ed resisted a little chuckle as he looked down at the boy.

"You needed me?" He sighs, turning his attention to the older man.

Jack nods, glancing at Ryler. "The kid arrived here this morning. A soldier came into our barrack and said that the kid's parents were alchemists. The kid refused to help them."

Ed shot the man a glare and cursed the Drachman bastards.

"How do they expect a tiny kid to know anything about alchemy?" He hisses through his teeth, glancing at the older man.

The older man is silent, pale from the realization of what the Drachman's want to do to this kid.

Bending down to the kid's level, he takes the boy in properly. Ryler didn't look like an alchemist; he looked like any normal kid.

"How old are you, Ryler?" He asks the kid gently, heart aching at those big blue eyes.

"Ummmm…" Ryler's brow narrowed, attempting to remember his age. The boy's eyes lit up as he finally remembered, flashing a small grin.

"I'm five!" He squeaks, looking up at Ed and Jack with those bright blue eyes.

Whipping around, Ed watches Jack's face once again change to horror as he hears the boy's age. This little boy was placed in one of the worst imaginable places in the camp. He shouldn't have been in the camp in the first place.

Words fail Ed and the man beside him as they stare at the small boy. 

It was horrifying. Horrifying, to realize that the Drachman's wanted to break this innocent little boy's mind, wanting to turn him into one of their pawns. This little boy had to of had parents looking for him, people who loved him. He had to have people who were worrying their hearts out over him.

Kneeling, Ed ruffled the boy's hair, smiling lightly when the boy scowled at the mess his hair had become.

"Where're your parents, kid?" 

The small boy shrugged, and his eyes filled with worry. "I dunno, I was with them, and then suddenly, my head hurt, and I woke up here." The young boy's voice trembled.

Ed pulled the small boy into a hug, noting just how little he truly was. The kid shook in his embrace. 

"I'm sure they'll find you soon." He reassures the boy. 

"Promise?" Those small blue eyes bore into Ed, making his heart ache for the little child.

Ed nodded, ruffling the boy's hair. "I promise. I'm sure it won't be but a few days."

Standing up, Ed turned to Jack and nodded to him before walking a short distance, waiting for the man to follow him.

"Where's he going to sleep? Who's going to take care of him? He's freaking five! He's too young to even be in this hellhole." He hisses quietly to the man, golden eyes narrowing.

"Well…" The man started, glancing at the small boy and smiling when he saw Diana talking to him. 

"I was...um...considering making him your bunkmate, and I was hoping that you'd be willing to look after, make sure nobody tries to hurt him. 

Ed turned to look at the kid and then back at Jack, eyes wide. He didn't know what she should have said to the man. He wanted to tell the man no, but as he watched the small boy fiddle with his shirt, his heart rebelled against him.

It should've been simple for him to tell the man no. The kid probably would fare better with an adult looking after him; it shouldn't be his responsibility, but yet something wasn't allowing him to tell himself that.

Ed doesn't like to get attached to people. It always ends badly. He knows that. It always did. It happened with Nina. He swallows the lump in his throat when he thinks of her. It still hurts all of these years later.

He thinks he lost the ability to form emotional attachment after that; it made it much easier to carry on his mission when he didn't grow attached. It was best that way, even though it made him feel lonely a lot.

_Just tell him no. The kid will be better off without you._

He watched the kid as he turned those too pure eyes on him. Suddenly, a feeling came over him, a feeling that only comes over him when he's with Al, and someone is threatening to harm his little brother.

It was a feeling of protectiveness, the desire to keep someone safe. He felt it every time he and Al went on a dangerous mission.

So how could he ignore the feeling of protectiveness that waved over him as he looked at the kid who was reminding him so much of Al?

His heart started to ache suddenly as the sudden surge of protectiveness reminds him of his little brother.

God, he missed him. The ache only worsens when he watches the little boy curl in on himself, probably missing his parents and perhaps siblings. 

Maybe that's what prompts him to say what he says next.

"Alright." He says, walking back to the small boy. 

"Hey, Ryler." He calls the boy's name, and the boy jolts slightly.

Looking into big blue eyes, Ed made himself a promise that he was determined to keep.

_I'm not going to fail him, not like Al or Nina. Even if it kills me, I'm going to get him home._

He was done with failing everyone in his life; he was done with making Winry cry; he was done with feeling like a failure and feeling sorry for himself. He was going to get through this, and he and Ryler were going to get back to their family.

He was going to fight to his last breath to finish what these Drachman's started, and that was a promise he was determined to keep. For the miner's sake, Al's sake. He was not going down without a proper fight.

He had a reason a new reason to defy the rules now, and that's what he was going to do.

* * *

**If you'd like to contact me or request or talk about a story, contact me on twitter @wests_barry, Instagram @extrawestallen, and Tumblr @alchemicwestallen**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do we think of Ryler? Will we form a protection circle? Also, I hope it didn't feel too OOC for Ed to want to protect him. I have a headcanon that Ed is really good with kids. Leave a comment if you want and tell me what you think!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all! Sorry for taking so long to post! I've been a bit busy. I hope you're enjoying this story and I hope y'all don't find it a little slow but its definitely heating up next chapter! I really appreciate the readers, comments, kudos, and so much more that y'all have been showing this fic! Feel free to leave a comment on this! Enjoy!

Dark eyes watched closely from the dead brush. The alchemist was surprised when he initially got the assignment to view the area; it didn't look like anything that would spark interest. It looked like the rest of the border.

Amaron Destyu was his name, the shadow alchemist. He didn't even really know why he was hiding; it wasn't like the Drachman's would also see him with his alchemy activated. He quickly opened the pocket watch, sighing when he noticed that it was nearly time for the Drachman's to cross the border.

He was curious as to why the Fuhrer requested him to be in the specific spot at this time, as far as Amaron was aware, nothing unusual usually happened.

Well, that's a stupid thought. Amaron laughs at himself; he'd only been observing the area for three months. Not much had changed in that little bit of time.

He startles when the sound of an engine enters his hearing. He scrambles deeper into the brush, cursing himself for being too deep into his thoughts instead of listening for any vehicle movements.

The truck suddenly stopped, surprising the alchemist. 

What are they stopping for? 

Amaron watches as three men, easily identifiable as Drachman's, climb out of the truck. 

In the eight weeks, he'd been watching the area, a single truck had stopped, but that had been weeks back, and he'd not stuck around to see why instead of choosing to stay out of sight until they were gone. 

This time, however, something in him tells him not to hide but to watch. His curiosity grows as three Drachman's climb out, babbling in Drachman. Each of them looked dangerous, and Amaron knows that he needs to be careful.

They move out of his vision as they go around to the truck's back, he observes. He's suddenly surprised to hear more voices, Amestrian voices. 

Amaron observes as they drag a man to the front of the truck, hands behind his back. The man was soaked in blood, and he could see the darkening bruises on his face. The man snarls at the Drachman's, yelling insults and curses.

Amaron can't hear very well, and he decides to make his way closer to the truck slowly. He quiets his breathing and breathes quietly to calm his pounding heart.

Now at a closer range, Amaron was able to get a closer look at the man. The man's dark brown hair was matted with dirt and blood, his face sports a gash along the bridge of his nose and his left eye is swollen shut with blood.

Amaron's stomach tightened as one of the soldiers drew a syringe from his pocket. He was unable to see what it was, but it didn't look like anything good. 

_Whatever's in that syringe can't be anything good._

Double-checking to make sure his alchemy was still hiding him, Amaron crept from the brush, satisfied to see that none of the soldiers had noticed him. 

The man they'd pulled out of the truck continued to scream at his captors; his blue eyes were wild with anger. Amaron takes a quick look into the truck's back, finding three more people, none of which look as beaten up as the man.

Breath catching, he finally realizes what the Drachman's have been hauling over the border. His stomach churns, bile fighting to rise in his throat.

People, they'd been trafficking humans across the border. It made him sick to think about as he walked back to the three Drachman's. 

The Drachman's grow rigid when he accidentally kicks a rock, and he hisses quietly. 

_Damn it!_

The group leader turns left, then right, eyes narrowing as he searches for wherever the sound came from. This is his chance; he can unveil himself and take them out quickly while they're still surprised.

Breathing deeply, he brings his palms up, quickly looking at the tattoos before clapping them together. The world lights up in blue electricity, and his specialized alchemy is gone.

Within seconds he pulled his knives out of their holsters. The Drachman's stand shocked in front of him, giving him enough time to decide to spare the leader for information.

With a quickness that surprises even him, Amaron leaps into action.

* * *

"Where were you going?" Amaron hisses, patience running thin.

The Drachman stares up at him with wide but defiant dark eyes. 

"Tell me!" Amaron yells, digging his shoe into the man's throat, carefully as not to cut off his air. 

The soldier gasps, eyes bulging as he applies more pressure to his throat. The smirk on Amaron's face turns into a snarl. 

"Stop! You're going to kill him!" The former prisoner yells.

Amaron releases some pressure off the man's throat, and he's met with fast, heaving breaths. Sighing, he slightly turns to the former prisoner. The man was able to get to his feet, leaning against the truck.

"Well, if you have any ideas to get him to talk, then be my guest." He sighs, dragging his hand down his face, wincing as he brushed the small slice on his cheek from where a bullet grazed him. 

He turns his gaze down to the now unconscious man, wondering what to do.

Briggs is only twenty miles away. They could probably get information out of him. 

"Any idea of where they wanted to take all of you?" Amaron questioned, gaze lingering on the young man with the bloodied and bruised face.

"I have no idea, but maybe something to do with alchemists." The man shrugged, turning to his companions who gave shrugs of their own.

Amaron let out a frustrated breath, allowing his gaze flicker to the unconscious Drachman's then back to the now freed people.

It would cut into his time, but general Armstrong would be able to get the necessary information out of the soldier, she was well known for getting information out of people. 

"All I can do is get you to Briggs and take it from there. They'll be able to get you home."

He's relieved to see their grateful expressions as he goes to collect the unconscious Drachman's for transport. He leaves the people to themselves and goes around to the front to see what to do about the new prisoners.

* * *

Roy sighs noisily for the third time. His fingers tap the mahogany desk quickly as he looks around the empty conference room. He's almost an hour early.

Not like there's anything else to do but worry about the kid. He thought as he stared around.

He felt sick to his stomach as the thought about the meeting with their informant. It had been yesterday around this time when they'd gotten the call from Briggs about the new Drachman prisoner in their custody.

It'd taken eight weeks, but they might have been one step closer to Ed's rescue.

Roy had nearly snatched the phone from the Fuhrer's hand as he and his team listened in on the call. 

"General Armstrong managed to get information out of him. It'll take some time to compile all of the information, so General Armstrong will be calling tomorrow to explain all the information." Armstrong's major had said.

It was hard for Roy not to demand answers right then and there. The fate of his subordinate depended on the information that General Armstrong had, and he didn't want to let it sit another minute, but he understood. Interrogations took time to sort out, and data needed checking for consistencies.

He hated feeling so useless, what he'd give for going out in the field searching for his subordinate. 

His anxious thoughts kicked back up when he thought again of the kid undergoing torture. Ed was required to go to training on interrogations when he first joined, but Roy had learned from past prisoners of war, Drachman's would do anything for information.

 _But it's like Hawkeye said, the kid's been through automail surgery. Hell, he's been stabbed before and managed to get back up and take down his adversary._ He reminded himself.

His thoughts calmed his nerves, but it didn't relieve the tension in his jaw or how he held himself as he sat.

A touch to the shoulder brought him out of his anxiety, and he flashed a smile to the man who had touched him.

"You're here early, aren't you, Colonel Mustang?"

Roy quickly jumped into a salute, feeling relief as amusement jumped onto Fuhrer Bradley's face. 

"Yes, sir. I was very interested in learning about what the soldiers at Briggs found out, sir."

Roy relaxed as the Fuhrer laughed. 

"As am I, Colonel Mustang. I would like to get to the bottom of what's going on." The amusement dropped quickly from the Fuhrer's face.

He swallowed hard. It was scary how quickly his leader could become professional at the drop of a hat. He wouldn't want to get on his wrong side.

Roy cleared his throat. "Do we know what led to this Drachman's capture, sir?"

Bradley flicked through the papers, giving them a once over before turning his attention to Roy's question. 

"We do, Colonel." Bradley pushes the papers into his hands.

Roy's eyes scanned the report, taking in the vital information and letting it settle within him. 

Interesting that the person they dragged out of the truck was an alchemist

The report was drawled, going into what was in the truck compartments, the papers found in the truck, but not going into explaining the paper's contents.

"Our informant mentioned that earlier reports spoke nothing about the Drachman's stopping. Was there anything important about the man they pulled out of the truck?" Roy questioned.

Bradley nodded. "All he said that he was a civilian alchemist, helped out on small projects that needed fixing. He didn't know why they wanted anything to do with him."

Roy's brow narrowed as he thought. "But why would they want Alchemists? Don't Drachman's usually hate alchemy?"

"That they do, Mustang. There's something bigger than the Fullmetal Alchemist's disappearance going on." The man twists his mustache in his fingers, looking into the distance.

Roy's thoughts took their turn as he stared into the mid-morning sky. He hadn't thought of the possibility of more Alchemists out there who needed saving either. 

But what could they be doing that involves alchemy?

* * *

"There's a compound in Antyau, currently holding twenty thousand prisoners. Only a thousand of those are alchemists, while the rest are civilians."

The statement was met with dead silence, horrified dead silence. 

Those numbers...were a lot to process. Twenty thousand people. Twenty thousand people held prisoner in a camp meant for war prisoners.

It was a sickening pill to swallow.

"How are the conditions?" Roy broke the silence. 

A sigh comes from over the phone. "He didn't say. I can only assume that they aren't good at all. From what I gathered, a lot of people have been dying."

Several voices hiss from around him, and Roy finds himself swallowing the lump in his throat. 

Roy couldn't imagine what was happening in this facility; it made him sick to think about anyone receiving less than humane care. If Ed was in this place…no, he couldn't think of the worst possible outcome.

"Major Miles, did the prisoner say anything about the Fullmetal Alchemist?" Bradley asked after a few minutes of silence. 

Finally, the question that Roy wanted to ask but was scared to know the answer. 

"Ah, that's where the prisoner finally stopped answering questions. I could tell that something that he was trying to hide, but no matter how many times General Armstrong asked, he never answered." 

Roy fought down the urge to curse aloud. Withholding information was a common thing for Drachman prisoners to do, especially when the information was relevant. It was something he'd seen years ago when sitting in on the interrogation of a Drachman spy.

"Say, Major Miles, would you say that his silence makes it obvious that Fullmetal is there?" He asked curiously, gaze traveling to all of the inhabitants in the room, gaze lingering on Alphonse.

It was quiet for a moment or two before Miles answered. "In my opinion, Colonel Mustang, I believe his silence confirms your theory. He is most likely being held somewhere in the compound."

It was like a vice had wrapped itself around Roy's chest, making it hard for him to breathe. The situation had gone from bad to worse. 

"Thank you, Major Miles. Give General Armstrong my thanks. We will contact you later in regards to what our informant's next move will be." Bradley said in a surprisingly earnest tone of voice.

"That'll be good; I'll tell the General. Have a good day, sir." 

Multiple sighs were heard when the Major hung up. Roy massaged his aching head. There was going to be a lot of decisions that needed making in the next few minutes, tough choices that he most likely wouldn't like.

Bradley cleared his throat and looked around the room, taking in the expressions of each individual, slightly staring at Roy longer than the rest. Roy noted that the generals to Bradley's side all looked horrified. This was a situation that hadn't occurred before.

"This situation is much bigger than any of us could have imagined. I can't make a move without knowing the entire situation. Therefore, I will give the orders that our informant will infiltrate the compound, where he will discover if Fullmetal is there, and try and discover what the Drachman's are up to."

"Fuhrer Bradley, sir, with all due respect, the Fullmetal Alchemist is just one soldier, he can't be that important." 

Several angry cries cried out over the protesting voices. Roy's jaw clenched as he watched the general scoff. It took all of Roy for him not to leap out of his chair.

"General Motao," He said after a few moments, a disapproving look plastered onto his face. 

"The Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the most talented state alchemists in the military. He's crucial to many people in this room and this country." Bradley's eyes narrowed as he stared at the man.

General Motao swallowed, eyes nervously scanning the angry faces of those who cared for Ed. "Y-Yes, sir." He said after a moment.

Bradley relaxed, turning his attention back to those awaiting more of his plan.

"I will request that our informant meets his handler every week, handing over any important information that he has found, from there, further action will need to be decided on. Are there any objections?"

Silence met the question, and Bradley nodded. "Well, everyone, the mission into the rescue of the Fullmetal Alchemist has officially started. Let's bring him home."

Roy smiles as cheers rang out in the room. For the first time in two months, he could feel hope that they were close to finding Ed.

_We're bringing you, home kid, no matter how long it takes._

* * *

_Inky blackness met him on all sides. It was suffocating. He trembled in fear, heart racing wildly in his chest, threatening to escape him._

_"Edward." A voice called. He swallowed down the lump in his throat, refusing to turn around. He knew what he would see, not tonight, he didn't want to see her tonight._

_Cold fingers brushed his face, making his breath hitch in his chest. "C'mon, Ed, you don't want to see what you did to your mother?" The sultry voice turned venomous._

_"I-I didn't know, I-I didn't know what would happen! We were kids, just kids!" He clamps his hands over his face, breathing ragged and harsh._

_"LOOK AT ME!" The voice screamed, grabbing his wrist and twisting him to face it._

_Ed couldn't stop trembling as he looked at the disfigured creature that they had created the night of the transmutation. Her mangled arm held him, sharp claws digging into his skin._

_"Let me go, please I didn't mean to." He whispered, hot tears threatening to blur his vision._

_The figure shook its ugly head, fanged teeth forming a bitter snarl. "Then why did you trap your brother in a metal shell." It hissed into his ear._

_The creature morphed into Al, metal body and all. "Do you see what you did to me, brother? You turned me into this monster." Al's metallic voice hisses._

_"Stop! I didn't mean to! I didn't mean to!" Ed screams, holding his ears and hunching over, yelling again and again._

_"Oh, but you did." Al's metallic voice snarls, "I told you again and again that I didn't think this was safe. You ignored me!" Al's metallic voice raises to a yell._

_"Al...please...forgive me." Tears were streaming down his face now, sobs shaking his body. He couldn't breathe._

_"I'll never forgive you, Brother. You know this, yet you persist in trying to earn my forgiveness."_

_"Please tell me what to do Al, I'll do anything." He screams, pulling at his hair, heavy breaths leaving him._

_"You can die, that's what you can do."_

_"A-Al?" His head snaps up, disbelief in his gaze._

_Al doesn't respond; he stares at him with angry soul fire eyes._

_"Please, Al…" He chokes, running up to his brother and wrapping his arms around him._

_"Please forgive me. That's all I want."_

_"Forgive you? Why should I forgive scum like you?" A harsh laugh escapes him._

_He buries his face into his brother's metal shell, silently begging Al to forgive him, but he knows he doesn't deserve it, he never will. He trapped his brother into a life of hell._

_A metal hand grabs his hair, slamming the back of his head into the darkness. All oxygen escapes him, leaving him struggling and twitching in the dark._

_His vision blurs, Al's suit blurring to a gray blob. He struggles to raise his hand, trying to reach for Al._

_He gasps. "Al...Please…"_

_His brother stands over him, unmoving. "You know you deserve worse than death, brother," He quietly says._

_His fading mind manages to catch the words, loss heavy in his heart, tears streaming down his face, refusing to stop._

_"And I'll be the one to kill you."_

_Al's heavy metal foot rests on his chest, ignoring Ed's cries of agony. He presses harder as Ed's cries grow to screams of pain._

_I didn't mean to! Please stop!_

_Blood bubbles up his windpipe, spilling from his lips. A final scream, then he's falling…_

_Down…_

_Down…_

_Down…_

* * *

Ed wakes with a strangled gasp, bolting upright. Cold sweat covered his body. His chest heaves as he struggles for breath; he struggles to remember where he is until his eyes rest on the tiny form beside him.

Sweat trickles down his forehead, causing his bangs to stick to his sweaty forehead. His heartbeat thunders in his ears, while his breath leaves him in harsh gasps.

Laying back, he squeezed his eyes tightly shut. He swallows the lump in his throat, begging for it to not turn into a sob. 

_Please, no, not here. I can't do this right now._

He feels trapped; he needs air. Ed slips out of the bunk, as quiet as he can, stepping as quietly as he can not to wake up another person.

He quietly opens the barrack door, slipping through the crack and into the chilly October night. He sinks against the wall, legs no longer steady enough to hold him up.

God, he feels so sick. Not that he doesn't feel sick every time he has a nightmare. This one was worse than usual. They've been worse than usual for a while now.

A gasped, shaky breath escapes him, and he clenches his jaw, desperately working to stop the sobbing wail that wants to force its way past his trembling lips.

He whimpered softly, his head in his hands, his teeth bared against the agony in his heart. "Please, not now, not now." He whispers, voice breaking.

Visions of his creation dance behind his tightly shut eyelids, anguish shooting through him as he relieves his brother torn from him, shoved into a cold metal shell.

 _Please, god, not tonight, please_.

Warm tears fall down his cheeks against his will, gasping sobs following them, and for the first time in two months, he cries.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry." He gasps between tears. He doesn't know who he's apologizing to; he's just so tired. He's so tired of watching people die in front of him, day after day. He cries for Ryler, the tiny five-year-old who wakes up crying, begging for his parents, who aren't coming back.

He cries, and knowing it's not going to get any better makes him cry harder.

"E-Ed?" A small voice calls.

He jumps, quickly wiping his face, he turns to where the voice comes from. Ryler stares at him with tired, hazel eyes, a look of worried curiosity comes to them when he sees the tears on Ed's face.

"What are you doing up, buddy?" He asks softly, cursing the crack in his voice. 

"I woke up, and you were gone." Ryler crawls into his lap, and Ed finds himself tearing up again as he stares into those too wise hazel eyes.

"Sorry, Rye. I just needed some time outside alone." He hopes the kid won't see the drying tears on his face or notice how he's still shaking.

"But I heard crying, and that's how I found you. Why were you crying? 

Ed's face falls as he stares at the boy. Ryler was so smart, so incredibly smart for his age. He always knew when someone was upset just by looking at them.

"I had a pretty bad nightmare." He rests his chin on the small boy's had, smiling slightly when Ryler buries himself into his chest.

"Like I sometimes do?" Ryler pulled back, intelligent hazel eyes looking at him.

He nods, looking away from the small boy, too ashamed to explain why he was crying.

A small hand touches his face, and he gazes down at Ryler in surprise. "You said it was ok for nightmares to make you scared and want to cry." 

He doesn't know what to say to the small boy in his grasp. The urge to cry again hits him in full force, and he doesn't stop them as they cascade down his cheeks.

"Come here, buddy." He chokes. 

He wraps the small boy in the hug and cries, and for the first time in a very long time, he doesn't feel ashamed to cry.

* * *

**If y'all would like to contact me, follow me on Instagram @extrawestallen, twitter @wests_barry and @westsbarry, and on Tumblr @alchemicwestallen**


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! I'm so sorry for taking so much longer to upload this chapter! I've been really busy. I've decided that I must push out dates of new chapters out a little and I'm going to try for new chapters every two weeks. I hope that's alright. Thank you so much for the kudos, reads, and comments that you've been leaving! I really appreciate it! Feel free to leave a comment and tell me what you think! Anyway, enjoy!

It couldn't have been, but a little later, when Ed's tears finally stopped. When they did, he felt a little less dense, like a small weight had released itself from him. He'd felt hopeless for the last little bit like nothing was ever going to turn around. 

He glances down to his chest, smiling when he sees Ryler's small body nuzzling into him. Carefully as to not wake up the little boy, he picks him up gingerly. He quietly opens the door and makes his way to his bunk.

"Ed!" A voice yells, startling him and making Ryler whimper in his sleep. He gently places Ryler down on the bunk and turns around to the voice. Jack breathes heavily over his knees as Ed levels him with a glare.

He hisses at the man. "You could've woken him up." He growls through gritted teeth. "Sorry, we're having an emergency meeting." Jack is already walking to the door, Ed following at heels.

"Why? What's going on?" 

"You know how we said a while ago we were going to wait to see before working on a plan to slow them down and work a way to escape the place?" Jack says in an out of breath voice.

"Y-Yeah." The alchemist stutters, wondering why Jack was in such a rush.

"Roua overheard two soldiers talking, their planning on killing the sick and elderly again," Jack said in a panicked voice.

"They can't do that!" Ed yells, outrage flowing through his veins. Oh, but they could, he'd learned that they could do whatever they wanted without consequence. Their captors had no problem treating them as if they were less then human. It was as if the sick were rats, rats waiting for extermination.

_No, rats would've been treated better in these conditions._

Jack sighs softly, stopping and turning his gaze to Ed. Ed's stomach jolted when he saw the emotion on the man's face. 

The man smiled at him, a sad, pitying smile. It was a smile that Ed had become all too familiar with after he had automail surgery. The look sent chills up his spine, and he stared at the man in anticipation of what he was about to say.

"Edward," He began, placing his hand on Ed's shoulder. "This has happened before. For two years, I've watched them do things like this. I've seen them kill so many people. I've watched them murder children as they clung to their parents. I've watched them line up the elderly who were so sick that they could barely move and shoot them." The man paused, swallowing down the emotion that was swelling within him.

"So believe me when I say that they don't care about us. The Drachman's only want us for our labor and nothing else, and if we can't supply them that, then they'll begin killing us." He continued.

"Jack Iー" Ed tried but paused when the man shook his head. "I don't expect you to understand, Ed, you haven't been here all of this time we have. All we can do is try to focus on getting them out of here." The man clapped Ed's shoulder and continued walking.

Ed followed quickly behind him, trying to find the right words for what he wanted to say. He opened his mouth to say something, but the voice of an older man silenced him before he could tell Jack anything.

"What the hell took the both of you so long! We need to figure this out before sunrise!" A white-haired man came out of the barrack that they'd been headed to, his face twisted with annoyance and worry.

"Sorry, Rian, had to get Ed," Jack said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head as he walked into the barrack. Ed smiled sheepishly as he walked past Rian, internally wincing as the man scowled at him in annoyance.

The number of people that surrounded him almost immediately stunned him. They watched him with various expressions, many of concern or worry. 

_I didn't expect there to be so many people here_. 

As far as Ed could tell, many of those there the meeting were of all ages, many young and old, a few looked sick, and a lot of them consisted of skin and bones. These people needed help, help that he was determined to try and give them.

Jack motioned to him to follow him through the crowd of people, followed by the man to the front of the building. The crowd quieted at the appearance of the two of them and waited for Jack to do what he needed to do.

His stomach tumbled through nerves. Everyone's eyes were on him, which was something he wasn't used to. He forced himself not to shrink under the eyes. He straightened himself to his full height (which wasn't much) and held his head up.

 _When's he going to start talking?_ He groaned inwardly, the stares making him more and more nervous.

He glanced at the man beside him and was relieved to see the hand he held up to the crowd to quiet them down. Ed didn't know how the man looked so calm in a group this large. He felt like he was ready to run and hide, Jack, however, looked unmoved. He waited with bated breath along with all of the others as he began to speak.

"I'd like to apologize first and foremost that all of you were called here so late at night." Jack began. "Earlier this evening, Ren overheard two soldiers. He told me that he believed he heard them say in Drachman that they were going to start 'putting down' the sick and elderly." He said.

The room exploded with outraged voices. Parents held their children in their arms; men held their wives as they cried out in outrage. These people were just as outraged as he was, if not more. They'd been living through this hell for at least two years. They'd put up with countless horrors, things he's never experienced before. 

_Jack was right about me, but that's not going to stop me from helping them_. He thought as the voices calmed in preparation for Jack's next words.

"I know we've tried rising before, but this is not what we will this time. This time, an escape for the elderly, sick, and young will be created. We should not have to live in a place that doesn't take care of them!" Jack spat, his ordinarily calm eyes glowed with barely suppressed rage.

"There's no escape from this place! We've looked everywhere!"

"They shouldn't be allowed to get away with this!"

Many voices called out their approval and outrage. It looked as if everyone agreed, but how would they find an escape? Escape would be impossible during the day, at least a hundred guards stood watch during the day.

_Except, not as many guards are around at night_

If they wanted to escape, night would have to work. It was something he'd noticed on nights when he'd sit outside. At most, fifteen soldiers were watching at night. 

If they wanted to escape, night would have to work. It was something he'd noticed on nights when he'd sit outside. At most, fifteen soldiers were watching at night. He frowned at the thought that occurred to him next, destroying the previous idea.

_How would they escape?_

Ed bit down on his lip and glanced at the man beside. Jack's previous expression of defiance and determination had left him. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes contained anxiety. As if he didn't know what to do.

Ed bit down on his lip and glanced at the man beside. Jack's previous expression of defiance and determination had left him. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes contained anxiety. As if he didn't know what to do.

 _He doesn't know how to get them out_.

Ed nudged the man, gaining his attention, and Jack leaned in to hear what he had to say. "Let me speak." He suggested. "I want to know if there's a way to get out of here that you might not know." The older man gave him a relieved look and nodded.

Ed took a step forward and glanced back at Jack, who nodded and gave him a smile of approval. He took a deep breath, letting his gaze scan over the crowd who had quieted down and turned to their attention to him, probably wondering who this unknown person was.

"You may not know me, but I'm Edward Elric-" He didn't continue because the room lit up in excited voices. He was surprised, not many of those that he'd interacted within this place seemed to know him, yet most, if not all, the people here knew who he was.

"So I see that all of you know me," He chuckled nervously. He felt his heart pick up, and his palms became clammy as he stared at the crowd. He'd never felt this nervous before in front of a group of people.

"Someone told me something earlier that I didn't understand all that all of you have been suffering for the past few years. I realized that they were right, but that's not going to stop me from helping. I'm going to get all of you out of here; I just need to know how." 

Ed's heart pounded excitedly in his chest as he stared out at the crowd, watching as many put their hands up to answer him. The feral feeling that sprung up in his chest surprised him. He hadn't felt it in a while, and he welcomed it back. 

_Feels good to feel this excited again._

He fought down the feral grin that tried to force its way on his lips and glanced around the ground and pointed to the person for the first idea.

"You," He pointed to a man close to him. "Any idea on how to get the sick and elderly out?" 

The man startled and looked up at Ed's scowling face as if he was surprised that Ed picked him. "I-I-I-" He stuttered. "I, um, thought that you since you're an alchemist and all that you could bring down the part of the gate that isn't well-protected at night."

Ed frowned, _part of the fence that went unguarded at night?_

The fence in question was well known for how hard it was to get over. Many people had tried before to scale it, only to be met with barbed wire if they climbed high enough. Those who didn't get high enough, however, were killed. No one had ever escaped over the fence; the risk was too high. He'd watched a young woman die from attempting to climb it.

"Isn't the perimeter of the compounded closely monitored at night ?" He pointed out, looking around the room for confirmation.

"There is a place where it goes unguarded!" A voice called out, turning his attention away from the man he'd been addressing.

That voice─it sounded so familiar. Where had he heard it before?

_Come on, remember. I know that voice. Where have I heard it before?_

The crowd shifted as the speaker made their way forward, and Ed stiffened. Standing in front of him was Rose. 

* * *

"It's been a while, hasn't it Edward?" Rose smiled up at him, taking pleasure at the shocked look on his face. 

"R-Rose?" He breathed, staring at her with a mixture of surprise and horror. Why was she _here?_ She shouldn't have been here; she should've been in Liore rebuilding the city. Hell, she wasn't even an alchemist.

"Y-Yeah, its been a while." Ed chuckled nervously, ignoring the bemused whispers and stares that people gave him. He nervously cleared his throat; he would be able to greet her after the meeting ended.

"So," He cleared his throat, "What did you mean when you said that there was a part of the fence that goes unguard at night?" He questioned, voice rising for the crowd to hear.

Rose nodded, ginger bangs bouncing. "It's behind these barracks; it goes unguarded each night between 4 AM and 5 AM. That leaves an hour where we can get the sick and elderly out." Rose answered.

Ed nodded, eyes traveling from Rose to the crowd of people listening intently. If this was true, then it was these people's big chance of getting out. The old, sick, and young wouldn't have to worry about being killed.

"Can anyone confirm what Rose has to say?" He asked the crowd, hoping for some confirmation so that these people wouldn't have to feel any false hope. 

"I can," Jack loudly confirmed beside him. Ed nearly sighed with relief. "I occasionally look around at night, and I never see anyone out and about at that time." The older man finished to Ed's relief. 

He shifted over so Jack could take back over, quickly shooting a smile to Rose in thanks. "Should we ask for more plans, or does everyone agree? If you agree, raise your hand." Jack announced.

Ed's heart pounded in his chest as he watched people raise their hands one by one. He couldn't believe it! He'd never seen a group of people vote unanimously on anything, let alone plans to escape a prison compound. 

"So I see you all agree," Jack chuckled, and for the first time since Ed had met the man, he looked slightly relieved. "I will need some time to plan the escape with some others, but expect to be back here within three days, and then escape will be possible!" 

The crowd cheered at their leader's words, many cried, many cheered, and some were so stunned that they couldn't speak. The very idea of freedom after so long had to be shocking to them.

* * *

The crowd began to clear within a few minutes, carefully as not to make any of the guards suspicious. Large gatherings weren't tolerated, and if one was discovered, then it was broken up by force.

The late-night air chilled his skin as he began walking back to his barrack. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, picking up his pace. He wanted to get back quickly before Ryler could wake up. A sigh quickly escaped him, the sudden feeling of sadness rushed in on him, reminding him that he was truly alone.

 _Aren't I always alone?_ He sniffed, staring up at the half-moon. _Well, that's not always true_ , he corrected himself, frowning at the thought. Before the past two months, Al had been a constant at his side. He missed his younger brother, wishing he was here with him, but grateful at the same time that Alphonse had been spared from this. Unlike Edward, Al wouldn't have been able to put up with the cruelty he witnessed.

"Edward!" A voice called, pulling him from his depressing thoughts. He turned, Rose walked quickly toward him, her face split in a small smile. "I was hoping to catch you before you left." He shrugged. "I had to get back," he said simply, taking his flesh hand from his pocket and running it through his messy blond hair.

The next few minutes or so went by in awkward silence. A time or two, he saw Rose open her mouth to say something, but she seemed to decide against it each time as she would close her mouth and shake her head. To his relief, they arrived at his barrack, not a moment too soon.

He turned to Rose and placed a finger to his lips, a silent command for Rose to be quiet. She nodded and slipped inside quietly when he when opened the door, nodding her thanks. As quiet as a mouse, Edward made his way to his bunk, sighing in relief when he saw that Ryler was still asleep.

Ed move carefully onto the bunk, arranging himself so that Rose could sit beside him. He combed his fingers through Ryler's fluffy hair, aware of Rose smiling at the act. Annoyance grew in him as Rose returned to studying his face again, what was she so interested in?

"If you have something to say, then say it," He finally snapped, scowling at the expression on her face. Rose sighed then took his face in a hand. He froze as she studied his face. Something flashed in her eyes before it disappeared, and she dropped his chin.

"I heard how you arrived here," She began quietly, "Edward, I don't know what you've been through here, but you're different. I can sense your rage and sadness and anger, so much anger." She paused and Ed was surprised by the sorrow he saw in her eyes. "I've only been here a few weeks, Edward, and it scares me how similar your eyes are to them, yet your eyes still hold their fire, but it's a fire that grows then dies quietly." Her voice trembled.

His eyes shifted away from her, drifting to the far corner. His jaw clenched as he tried to think of a response to give her. Finally, he shakes his head, lips twisting into a cynical smile. "I don't know what to tell you, Rose. It's hard not feel all of those emotions when you're hundreds of miles away from the only family you have left, taking care of a kid, who is literally the only bright spot in this miserable hellhole and who frankly deserves so much better than me, and be expected to get all these people out eventually," He all but yelled.

He panted as he caught his breath from his outburst; the anger was quickly flooding out of him. _And who's fault is it that you're stuck in here, to begin with?_ He mentally scolded himself. He couldn't expect her to understand what he'd been through, and frankly, he didn't want her pity.

"Oh, Edward," She whispered, wrapping her arms around him. He tensed, mind freezing. "You've been through a lot, haven't you?" 

For some reason, Ed couldn't explain the lump in his throat that her statement caused. "Yeah," He croaked. His eyes suddenly stung as tears pricked the corners of his eyes, and the lump grew harder to swallow down.

Damn it, why did he want to cry so badly? There was absolutely no reason for him to cry over something this stupid. Why was he so weak?

As if she could read his mind, Rose pulled back to look at him, a sad smile tugging at the corners of her lips. He turned his head so she couldn't see the tears that slid down his face as they sat in the dark. 

"Ed," She whispered, and he quickly swiped at the tears on his face. She couldn't see how weak she was; nobody could.

"Hmm?" He mumbled, eyes lifting to her face. The sympathy in her brown eyes surprised him. 

"I want you to think about your home. I want you to think about who you're fighting to come back to, and why you haven't given yourself up to the Drachman's."

He opened his mouth to protest but snapped it shut by the shake of Rose's head and her small glare. 

He swallowed down the remaining tears and allowed his eyes to slide close, surprised by how tired he was all of a sudden. "Now visualize those that keep you going." Rose's voice grew distant as he began to think.

Al came to his mind first, and he smiled internally. He saw himself and his little brother playing together as kids, his brother the one beside his bed when he first woke up from automail surgery, his little brother letting him sleep in his lap after a bad nightmare. 

Oh god, how he missed him. He missed the wrestling that they sometimes did when he had excess energy. He missed his brother's warm voice.

His thoughts traveled to Winry. If Al was his life and world, then Winry was his strength, what kept him going. He thought about how she comforted him when he was younger after nightmares, how she quieted his anguished sobs from the pain of his automail surgery. She took care of him.

He could feel himself calm down as thought of them. The crushing pressure in his chest lifted a little; he felt that he could breathe again if only a little. His eyes fluttered open, and he inhaled and exhaled. He did that a couple of more times before his heart finally slowed in his chest.

Then there was the final person that kept him going. His eyes drifted down to the small boy beside him, sleeping silently and had somehow managed to get a grip on Ed's shirt in his sleep. He gently brushes his fingers through the boy's hair, a small smile coming to his face.

If he was honest with himself, Ryler was the only thing keeping him from not being reckless and defiant. He was the main thing keeping him from burning this entire place to the ground. In the past two months he'd been here, he'd gotten close to the boy, he didn't know how or why he allowed the small boy to worm his way into his heart right along with the sense of fierce protection.

Ryler was as smart as he was sweet. From what he'd learned from the kid, his parents had taught him basic alchemy to use whenever he was in danger. Ed was impressed whenever he sat the boy aside to teach him. He caught on quick, and Ed was surprised by how quickly and easily got into the more advanced stuff when it took Ed more than two years.

"Who's the little guy?" He lifted his eyes to see Rose staring down at Ryler. He sighed, bringing his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. "Ryler. They brought him here a little less than two months ago." 

"A boy of his age? Its madness!" She exclaimed, staring at him in horror. Ed shrugged, sighing. "That's what I thought when he first arrived. He's such a smart kid, Rose. I taught him a little alchemy, and he understood!" He exclaimed.

"His parents," She began, "Are they dead?" He nodded, he wasn't sure they were dead, but there was no way they would've let him go without a fight. 

Rose inhaled and began to brush through Ryler's hair, a sad smile on her face. "There are some days where I look at his face and I wonder what the future holds for him." A sad smile came to his face.

"He's going to grow to be a hero with you being the one to raise him." She joked. He hid the frown that statement caused him.

He'd spent many sleepless wondering what would become of the small boy after they escaped. He always came back to one particular thought; would Ryler be able to be in his life? Being a state alchemist meant that he made so many enemies, who would try to get at him any way possible.

It was hard to imagine Ryler being a permanent fixture in the far future. He had to be realistic; it was very likely that he and Ryler would be separated once they got out. Those thoughts shouldn't have hurt as much as they did, because he knew in the beginning that it was almost inevitable that it would turn out that way.

But on rare nights, he allowed his mind to feel hopeful. Those nights were when he dreamed of Ryler, bright and healthy, playing with Al. In his dreams, Al would be chasing Ryler, and the small boy would be squealing and looking for a hiding spot, one that he'd find behind Ed's legs, and Al would pretend he couldn't see him.

His dream seemed so far from reality now. Tonight had made him realize that. There wasn't anything keeping the Drachman's from killing kids; they'd killed them before. He couldn't let Ryler go through that. 

There was hope on the horizon, at least for Ryler. Thanks to the plan set to go to effect in three days, Ryler could escape. He could grow up to be an amazing, young man. 

_It's for the best_ , He thought. Separating from Ryler would be the hardest thing he'd ever have to do. The kid wouldn't understand that it was the best thing for him, but maybe one day he would understand.

 _Heh, sounds like something Mustang would say_ , he thought with a humorless quirk of his lips. 

He'd tried hard not to think of that bastard the two months he'd been here. The man slipped through his mind more times then he'd care to think about. The anger was still fresh in his mind, and Ed doubted that it would disappear anytime. He snorted at the thought, hell it probably would just add onto his 'reasons Mustang is a bastard list.' 

He didn't know why he felt a fondness for the bastard after what he did. It would be a long while before he forgave the man. It was unfortunate that he was beginning to understand the man's motives. He was mostly doing the same thing to Ryler.

He sighed, shaking the thoughts from his head. His plan wouldn't work if he didn't have anyone to look after the kid. He rested his eyes on Rose. She looked at peace brushing her fingers through Ryler's hair, the way she watched him reminded him of the mothers he'd seen in the camp calming down their children.

"Rose, what would you say if I told you that I was considering having Ryler leaving in three days."

He looked over and took her in. She looked thoughtful, considering what he was saying. Finally, she looked up at him, and her eyes were surprisingly sad. "I think it would give him a chance to grow up and live," She stated. 

He nodded, the lump in his throat returning. "But," She continued, "young kids, they don't adapt to change well. You said he arrived here two months ago after being separated from his parents, right? She questioned.

He nodded, remembering those first few nights when he woke up to Ryler crying for his parents. She sighed, "He' s—well, he's not going to take it well." She explained.

"So, this isn't going to be easy for either of us, great." He muttered sarcastically. 

She nodded, pity on her face. "You know that one saying about love?' She asked.

He nodded. "The one about letting someone go?" He asked.

"Sometimes, you have to lose someone if you love them." 

That quote shouldn't have hit him as hard as it did. Heat rose behind his eyes quickly, and he forced them away before Rose could see them.

"It's going to be hard," He croaked.

"I'm so sorry, Ed." She whispered, and she hugged him again. This time, though, he buried his face in her shoulder and mourned the one thing that held him together.

* * *

Two days went by quickly, and Ed didn't know how he held it together so well. He tried his best not to think about saying goodbye to the small boy. It was even harder to look at Ryler when he smiled his biggest smile and tried to get Ed to laugh.

And oh my god did he try to get him to laugh. It was like Ryler could sense how he felt. The small boy wanted to please him in attempting to help him out in the mines when he couldn't even really lift the pickaxe and collecting rocks he found that he thought Ed would find helpful. It hurt so much.

All Ed would do was thank him. He didn't miss the way his face would fall but then perk up again. It hurt to see. 

Whenever he wasn't with Ryler, he was with Jack, where they decided that they would use his alchemy to open a hole in the fence. "This collar prevents me from transmuting, and there's a key, but the supervisor has it." He had said.

Jack had hummed in annoyance and nodded. "Consider it taken care of." The man had clapped him on the shoulder and walked away, leaving Ed dumbfounded. 

He was also looking for a woman who would be willing to bring Ryler with them. He ended up finding this older man and woman, Byron and Clarissa. Byron had Arthritis, which meant that he couldn't get off his bunk on some days, which made him a prime target.

He didn't know why they agreed to take Ryler, they'd looked apprehensive at first, but then it disappeared suddenly. Maybe it'd been when he explained that Ryler was such a good kid, or perhaps it was how he got choked up a time or two, he didn't know. He was so grateful, though.

After that, he found Rose, and they sat, Just sat. He needed quiet, and she allowed him to do that. He told Rose about the people he'd found, surprisingly she'd gotten there with them. "Their good people." She said. 

That was all that she'd said, and Rose then went off to meet up with Someone who had materials from a different part of the compound.

* * *

The eve of the third day had come too quickly for Ed's liking. His stomach was a ball of nerves, even as he reminded himself that it would be the next evening that he had to say goodbye to Ryler. 

He sighed, running his hands down his face. Beside him, Ryler was unusually quite. His big blue eyes stared blankly up at the metal ceiling, and he wondered what was running through that small boy's mind.

He must've dozed off because he didn't remember opening his eyes or Ryler turning to his side. Ryler looked sad, the pale moonlight making his eyes gleam. 

"Ed?" The small boy asked, poking his flesh arm. Ed yawned and turned over on his side. "Hmm? He mumbled. Ryler opened his mouth once, then twice, then he shook his head. 

"What's wrong, bud?" He asked, brushing his fingers through the small boy's hair. 

"I heard from Malachai that he and his family were escaping tomorrow and that you were helping them," Ryler's voice quivered. "You won't leave me, right?" He burst out.

"Of course not!" He exclaimed, wrapping the boy into a hard hug. "I would never leave you." He whispered, resting his chin on the boy's head. The lie made him feel sick. It felt wrong to lie to the boy, but he knew Ryler wouldn't want to go.

"You're squeezing me, Ed." The boy gasped. "Sorry." He said. He ruffled the small boy's hair. 

"Are you tired?" He asked as the boy yawned. Ryler shook his head, and Ed chuckled. "Just try." He coaxed. Within ten minutes, the boy was asleep with his head on Ed's chest. He curled protectively around the boy. It was going to be a really long night.

* * *

**If you'd like to contact me or request a fic, follow me @extrawestallen on Instagram, on twitter @wests_barry, and on Tumblr @alchemicwestallen, and Wattpad on @wests_barry**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think'll happen? Will Ed have a change of heart? How will Ryler react? Leave a comment and tell me what you think!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Screaming in finally done* I've returned, I'm so sorry it took three weeks! Got some writers block at the end of the chapter. I'm so appreciative of those who've waited for me to post. I've gotten so many kudos, comments, and reads! I appreciate you all! Feel free to leave a comment and tell me what you think. Things will be ramping up after this chapter you won't want to miss it. Allow me to apologize for the translated Russian this chapter, I don't know how accurate it is, so I apologize if you know Russian and it isn't right. Anyways, enjoy! A lot goes on this chapter!

Morning came much too quickly for Ed. As he expected, he barely got any sleep, which only resulted in tossing and turning. His nerves twisted his stomach into an anxious ball the moment he woke up, and the incoming snow clouds didn't make it much better.

Wait, snow clouds?

He scowled up at the sky, silently cursing their luck. Drachman snowfalls were known for how cold they could be, usually many degrees below zero. _It's going to be a problem if it starts snowing tonight_. The snow could pile up, making it hard to walk through.

He sighed, looking around for Jack. He found the man surrounded by his wife and two men. "I saw snow clouds earlier." He said. Jack frowned, running his fingers through his beard. "They shouldn't prevent us from doing what we need to do. Even if it does, we'll have to continue right on through it." Jack's tone irritated him; he hoped the man knew what snow did to automail.

"You don't have automail," He grumbled, walking back to his bunk. It would be another hour before they had to get to work, and Ryler would join the other children where they sorted out the stones. 

It was quite close to twenty minutes before the loud sound of the door crashing open had everyone jumping. The barrack supervisor scowled in the doorway; his dark hair messy and uncombed. He glanced behind him to another soldier, this one, to Ed's disinterest, had red hair and a roundish face, which was slightly unusual as Drachman's had broad faces and dark hair.

The loud noise had startled Ryler, who sat up quickly, looking at the two men with surprise. The boy leaned into Ed, nervously grabbing his hand. 

"Slushay, lichinki! Vse deti byli oprosheny vrachami. Oni budut okrugleny cherez desyat' minut

(Listen up, maggots! The doctors have requested all children. They will be rounded up in ten minutes).”

Ed didn't understand what the Drachman had said, but going by the way, many of the adults blanched and paled, it wasn't good. He looked back towards Jack, who met his gaze and walked his way. The man had a mixture of horror and terror on his face, something Ed hadn't seen before.

"What'd he say?" Ed demanded. Jack released a slow, shaky breath. "He said that the doctors are requesting all children." The horror Ed felt was almost instantaneous. What were they planning to all of these kids, to Ryler, to him? 

Was it possible that someone had overheard the meeting from two days ago? If that were the case, then the adults would be rounded up too. He swallowed hard, willing himself to not think of the worst-case scenario.

"Ed, what's going on?" The small voice beside him asked. He turned to the small boy, who had curled in on himself. He hated looking into those terrified eyes that had learned much too quickly the horror of this place.

He'd heard too many stories from prisoners of war that if he'd been in that position, he would have had lasting trauma. Anxiety twisted his stomach into knots; there was practically no way of knowing what those doctors had in store. If the soldiers were cruel, then there was no way the doctors weren't worse. 

Ed stared at the child for a second, thoughts lingering on what he could say to reassure him. When his thoughts came empty, he knelt next to the boy, bullying his expression into something that didn't look like horror.

He could tell the boy that it was going to be okay, could lie, and say that the doctors didn't mean any harm, that they were only making sure the kids were healthy. However, the thought of lying and things turning out to not be alright hurt him more than he ever thought it could.

So, all he told the boy was, "I don't know." The way Ryler's face crumpled, and he buried his face into his shirt, made him wish he'd lied. The boy was shaking in his arms, and when he looked down, tears were trailing down his cheeks. It hurt, god, it hurt to watch him cry and be able to do nothing about it.

He held the boy in his arms until multiple soldiers walked from bunk to bunk, searching for children. He was up and out of his bunk by the time they arrived, carrying Ryler in his arms as one soldier jabbed the muzzle of his rifle into his back. 

"Zaderzhis' na sekundochku; u nego yest' vorotnik. On dolzhen byt' alkhimikom (Hold on a moment; he has a collar. He must be an alchemist.)" The second soldier abruptly said. The soldier with the rifle sighed.

"Chto oni skazali delat' s alkhimikami? (What'd they say to do about alchemists?) " 

Ed didn't understand what either soldier was telling each other; he didn't dare to move a muscle as he fixed his golden gaze to the barrack entrance. The soldier shuffled behind him, and suddenly, a lead was attached to the front of the collar. He growled as his head was wrenched up, and the lead was then attached to his hands.

The position was slightly uncomfortable, and he found that he moved his hands, his head would wrench into a very awkward position. _Why would they take so many different precautions?_ He wondered, gritting his teeth when they muzzle of the rifle shoved him forward, a message to get moving.

The soldiers guided them to the clearing, shoving them down beside other children. Many were young, but there were a couple of older children around Ed's age or a little younger. Beside him, a small girl cried and was drawn quickly into the arms of her older brother, who glared at the soldiers as they walked by.

It took twenty more minutes before all the children were in the clearing. Ed was overcome by anger as he scanned the small faces. _Kids this little shouldn't be here,_ a hissed sigh escaped from between his teeth at the thought. 

_At least many of them will be able to leave tonight_ , the thought should've comforted him, yet it didn't as he watched the soldiers come back together around their leader, a captain by the looks of his epaulets.

Ryler had been quiet for the past little bit, but now he lifted his head, gazing at the other kids. He still trembled slightly, and the fear hadn't entirely left his eyes. The kid was _scared_. If he could, Ed would've hospitalized the soldiers that caused the boy to be so frightened.

 _You'll get the chance to get out of here; Mustang's probably been devising a plan, the stupid bastard_ , he snorted in amusement.

He froze, a small look of surprise coming over his face. Why _did_ he expect Mustang to go after him? And why was he thinking of the bastard right now in such a fond manner? There more important things to think about at the moment then his idiot superior who he was supposed to be angry with. 

_He's come after you before and wasn't in a panic then? Remember Kastu?_ His inner self reminded him. 

He sighed, internally rolling his eyes. _I didn't need him to come after me; he_ snapped at his inner self. Except he had required the man to save him because Al had been scattered all across the city, and the ransom sent out was for Mustang to come to Kastu and reveal the secrets of his fame alchemy.

Ed didn't get the look in the man's eyes when Mustang arrived, raging fire in his eyes and teeth bared in an angry snarl. It couldn't have been because his superior was worried about him. The man had never worried about him. 

_Except he was worried about you and what makes this time any different,_ his conscience said in a singsong voice. 

_Whatever now's not the time to think about all that, so shut up,_ he snapped, pulling his attention from his mind to the muffled cries of the children around him. Ed situated himself onto his knees, frowning as small, pointed stones dug into his flesh knee. 

Ryler pulled himself away from Ed and stared at the soldiers for a moment, the fear in them disappearing for the moment as if he decided they couldn't _possibly_ be all that scary. The five-year-old then turned to Ed, and he was surprised to see those big blue eyes blazing with determination.

"Don't worry about them, Ed. They won't hurt you if I can help it." The boy's high pitched voice announced.

Ed blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Then Ed _laughed._

It was different from the laugh of mischief that he would make when he did something to the colonel or pulled a prank. It was more like the laugh of when someone heard a good-natured, hilarious joke. And he couldn't stop once he started.

Ed knew he must've looked insane; he felt like it a little. Ryler joined in his laughter, his giggles making the fourteen-year-old laugh even harder. The other children were perplexed by what they were witnessing; a few joined in on his hysterical laughter.

The soldiers turned around, a mixture of annoyance and astonishment on their faces. A flash of surprise came over the captain's face before the frown overtook it. Finally, after many more seconds of laughing, it ceased as the captain placed his hand on his gun's barrel, his face showing that their laughter was unacceptable.

Ed quickly righted himself, Ryler following his emotions. He glowered at the man, who stared back at him with an air of superiority. Finally, as if they had had a staring contest, the captain blinked and shook his head, turning to his subordinates and saying "vse zdes'. Idi i voz 'mi ikh (everyone's here. Go ahead and take them.)"

Ed didn't know what the man said, but the other soldiers were prodding them with the muzzles of their rifles and quickly getting them up. "I'm going!" He hissed over his shoulder at the soldier behind him, really, what were they in such a hurry for?

* * *

The room they were in, Ed decided, was dull and unimpressive. The walls were plain white with no windows; grates covered multiple air vents throughout the room. It was a little odd, why would there be a need for multiple air vents in a place that looked unused, Ed thought.

The room smelled of a chemical that Ed couldn't put his finger on. It was intense, like something he'd smelled in the hospital before. It wasn't an antiseptic, those smelled different. 

He abandoned his thoughts as the door they entered from crashed closed, startling the small children and causing Ryler to grip his shirt tightly. He stared at the door, a slight feeling of uneasiness came over him as he took everything in. This type of room was something he'd read about before...if only he could put his finger on it.

_Wait_

His eyes trailed up to the vents, gears in his head, turning as he worked out what they had to have been for. _Vents push air along_ …

Then it hit him like the car that hit him two years ago.

Gas! They were going to use some form of gas! They had to get out of here, or he'd be unable to stop them from doing horrible things to all of them. He jumped to his feet, gently peeling Ryler off of him, ignoring the confused look the boy gave him.

He kicked and pounded at the thick metal door until his knuckles were bloody until his heart raced wildly in his chest until his lungs craved oxygen and begged him for sweet release. He screamed at them as he pounded at the door and screamed out everything he had wanted for the last two months. He spat and snarled, and his knuckles cried out in protest, and the force of his kicks reverberated up his thigh, causing it to ache.

....and yet, there was no answer. Not a single soldier was threatening to kill him if he wasn't quiet and submissive. There was _nothing_. 

"E-Ed…" A tiny voice quivered behind him. He spun, lips twisted into a snarl because _what, what do you want from me?_

Ed's scream of anger was cut off by the look on Ryler's face. Ryler's lip trembled, tears hung in his eyes, casting them a stunning blue. He was caught off guard by the terror he saw; he shouldn't have been so terrified.

"W-What's wrong—"

Ed stepped towards the boy, and Ryler scooted away.

Ryler scooted away from _him._

Shame and regret filled him almost instantaneously, and it was nearly too much to bear. 

"Rye—God, I never meant一" He choked, a lump filling his throat. _I would never hurt you_. 

With his lungs begging for air, Ed tried to formulate how to respond to the boy standing in front of him, terrified. The chance never came as a rumble startled him before he could speak. His head swung to the sound of the noise一the vent. 

His eyes stung with angry tears as one by one, the children coughed, trying to remove the odorless gas filling the room. He threw himself over Ryler, dragging his shirt up to his nose. 

It didn't work; however, whatever was in the room had filled his head, causing the room to blur and sway as he tried to force himself to his feet.

_When did I fall?_

His arms gave out on his as he feebly tried to haul himself up, causing him to collapse beside the boy whose chest was heaving. He struggled onto his side because if this was there last moments on earth, the white ceiling was not the way to go.

Ryler's eyes, drenched in panic and terror, rolled back in his head, and his eyelids closed, and he was still, and Ed would've thought he was dead if not for the faint rise and fall of his chest.

"R-Rye," He tried, the words slurred as he tried to fight the fogginess filling his brain, causing his vision to blacken around the edges. 

He...he had to...get to him...make sure he was alright…

He needed...damn it...what did he need to do? He had to do something, but the fogginess wasn't allowing it. 

He needed...to get to Ryler...why wasn't his body responding?

Ed struggled to lift his head, searching through the blurriness for the small boy. Against his will, his head thumped dully to the floor, and Ed found he didn't have the energy to pick it up as his cheek pressed into the coldness underneath it.

"'m...sorry." He breathed out between a desperate, gasped breath. 

_Please forgive me…_

His eyes felt so heavy...if only he could close them…

_I'm sorry, Ryler…_

His consciousness slipped..inch by inch...vision filled with black...one last attempt to hold on.

The attempt didn’t work...

_I'm sorry...Alphonse...for not making it back..._

_I'm sorry…_

All-encompassing darkness.

Nothing.

* * *

Dr. Krayev Ilyich did not understand why he let his superiors ship him off to this miserable hell hole. He could admit that he was not the best with people, could be cold to patients at times. If the number of complaints he'd received was anything to go by, that was the case.

Still, though, did that warrant his current predicament? Given the horrible task that his colleagues didn't find wrong. He still hadn't wrapped his head around the orders he'd received the day before, to check up on the children housed in the mining barracks.

He found himself now, staring down at the unconscious boy with blonde hair and golden eyes, debating why these people were kept in such terrible conditions. He'd been here for all of a week, and he'd seen so many patients, young and old. They were malnourished, terrified of him; they shied away from his touch. 

The first day he arrived, he'd desperately tried to save a teenage girl, dying from Hansaniaspora. No amount of treatment had been able to save her; she'd been suffering for weeks. Her kidneys had shut down, and she died on the table twenty minutes after arriving.

He had expected to treat them, send them back to their assigned sections, to make it out of this place one day intact hopefully. 

"What will become of this one?" He'd questioned Dr.Yanovich in his native language, gesturing to the unconscious eight-year-old lying on the surgical table with a then repaired bullet wound to the leg. 

The head doctor had looked at with annoyance, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "This one will be used in project Novi hominem," His boss said as if he knew what that meant. "Sorry, sir. I haven't had that explained to me yet." He had apologized.

"Dr.Carlaughv didn't explain to you what the entire purpose of this compound is for?" The doctor had groaned, acting as if should've known. He'd shaken his head and begun to explain.

"This," the man had help up a vial, "Is virus FO," his superior held up another bottle, "and this is virus SP-1912," He'd nodded to his superior and urged him to explain what that meant.

"They were created in the homeland by our greatest scientists after listening to my superior's wishes to match Amestrian alchemists." Dr. Yanovich stated with a smile, which sent chills up Ilyich's spine as he thought about it now. 

"I'm not too sure I'm following, sir. How will these help us match the Amestrians?" 

"Ah, but Dr. Ilyich, that is not the point. I cannot explain why, as it is much too high above your paygrade, but all will be revealed," He chuckled, a strange smile had appeared on his face before he continued, "Yes, all will be revealed." 

"May I ask you a question, sir?" He asked nervously as Yanovich's eyes became distant yet again. He hadn't thought the man was listening, yet his superior nodded.

"If I'm correct in assuming that these viruses can be deadly, then what will become of those who do survive and don't survive? Surely there must be a reason for testing two very new and deadly diseases." 

Yanovich had turned his gaze onto him and smiled. "I can show you. I thought at first may be above your clearance before I remembered that I could not show you all of them, but one will have to do for you to understand."

He'd swallowed nervously, trailing behind his superior, while a cold sense of dread filled his heart. Yanovich showed his clearance badge to a guard who nodded them along and backed away. Ilyich nodded to the man and received a nod in return. 

The room they entered was filled with many doctors he'd yet to work with, none glanced at him, but their eyes lingered on Yanovich, flickers of respect entering their expressions as if the man was famous.

"Feast your eyes on what will bring Amestris to its knees!" 

Ilyich turned his green eyes to the sight in front of him, and he blanched. It shouldn't have been possible; he'd seen its body with his own two eyes. It most definitely hadn't looked this way at death. Ilyich turned to his boss, horror in his green gaze. This...This was most definitely wrong, and _children_ that survived were going to be turned into this thing?

"S-Sir," his voice trembled as he stared wide-eyed at his superior. "What is this?" His superior forced his gaze away from the tank and fixed him with an uncomfortable, curled smile that now chilled him to his core.

"This, my good man will defeat the Amestrians once we've received the results from the Fullmetal Alchemist!" Yanovich declared.

After that, he'd numbly returned to his office, trying to understand what he'd seen and make sense of it. But he couldn't understand as he read more into the project because in this compound were _people_ —actual human beings who deserved the right not to be here. 

So, that's how he found himself staring down at the boy who was the Fullmetal Alchemist, hand trembling as he wondered if this boy's body could handle what was to come. 

This boy looked much too young to be here. He briefly remembered entering the chamber and finding his unconscious body protectively over the body of a young boy, much younger than the age of the Fullmetal Alchemist.

 _Lingering will do you know good; this is for the good of your country,_ he reminded himself. It was irritating, his compassion, that it decided to come out the wrong moment. Yet it would have to be ignored for the greater good. Banishing his thoughts, he quickly uncapped the needles and inserted them into the most prominent vein he could find. 

He couldn't stay in this room a second longer; he would suffer a moment of helplessness. He stepped out into the main area, breathing in the antiseptic and nodding to the soldier who brushed past him with a child with light blond hair. 

For a moment he turned back to see the soldier look both ways before entering the room he just left, it was odd, the soldier had been next to him when he'd been told by Yanovich to work on Fullmetal, but the man hadn't seemed interested.

Part of him wanted to chew out the soldier, yet he knew that they were required to guard the patient's rooms after he and his colleagues finished up. But other soldiers lingered outside of the rooms. A sense of suspicion filled his gut at the now empty doorway. The soldier now that he thought about it didn't look Drachman in the slightest.

He sighed, for now, he'd leave his suspicions alone, it was probably nothing but his imagination. There were important things to worry about.

* * *

Everything slowly fuzzed its way into focus, and all at once, Ed knew he was alive. He didn't know why or how he was still alive, but he was thankful that he was. His tired eyes opened after a few minutes and rested on the ceiling, fluorescent light nearly blinding him.

_Huh, so I didn't die. Unexpected_

He'd expected to wake up in some semblance of the afterlife, his mother in front of him, tears in her eyes. A relieved sigh slipped past his dry lips at the notion that he'd been mistaken. He shifted his position, noting how his limbs didn't feel restrained. 

He allowed his vision to focus further, enough for him to raise his head and take in his surroundings. He was in a hospital-like room, disdainfully noting the antiseptic smell and the IV in his arm. 

Thankfully he was alone一wait alone?

He gasped, forcing his tired body into a sitting position, he swiveled his head around, landing on the small boy with light blond hair in the bed beside him and nearly collapsed with relief. He was okay, _they were okay_.

The revelation chose to fill his chest with an emotion, choking him with relief. 

Well, they weren't precisely alright; they were still in this miserable place. Ed winced as he carefully pulled the IV out of his arm, briefly giving himself the time to determine if there was a part of his body that was severely wounded.

And to his surprise, his body barely ached. Of course, there was a sharp pain that came after injections, and his body felt heavy after what he clearly knew now was knockout gas. He flopped back, pressing his flesh hand to his face, breathing calming breaths to relax the pounding in his head. 

_Quiet for once,_ he breathed a sigh of relief, allowing his body to soak it in.

He didn't feel guilty for the thought; he needed his space and quiet, something he hasn't had in two months. The quietness almost lulled him into a sense of drowsiness, but his eyes snapped open quickly when he remembered that anyone could come in at any time.

 _Better to be safe than sorry. Don't know what those bastards would do alone with these kids_.

These people had already shown their lack of care towards those not like them; it wasn't out of the realm of the possibility that they could do what they wanted against defenseless kids. The buzzing in his ears finally stopped, and he listened for the slightest sounds.

Air conditioner.

Talking.

Eventually, the talking ceased, and the air conditioner merged into background noise, and it became all the harder not to fall asleep. Yet his body wouldn't let him sleep, he knew he desperately needed it, but his mind wouldn't allow it.

Al flashed into mind against his will. His brother was a common occurrence in his dreams and thoughts when he allowed them, which was right now. He glanced at Ryler; Al would love the boy. Al had always wanted a little sibling, and he knew that his little brother desperately wanted a little brother so that he could be a big brother himself.

 _Al really would love him_ , a small smile tugged at the corner of Ed's lips. He could imagine his little brother playing games with this small blue-eyed boy. The thought was pleasant, and for once, he didn't banish it immediately. He wondered if the small boy had siblings before this. 

Maybe he was wrong, maybe Ryler did fit into his future. Perhaps he'd be able to find him after getting out of this place; maybe everything would eventually be alright. Maybe Ryler wouldn't hate him. 

Maybe一

The doorknob twisted, and suddenly Ed was on high alert. He shut his eyes and let his arm drop to his side, controlling his breathing to make it seem like he was unconscious.

Steel-toed boots clicked quietly into the room. A sigh slipped from the owner, and Ed found himself holding his breath. The door closed with a soft click, and dread quickly built up in his chest. 

Someone was in the room with him and Ryler.

He cracked an eye open, peeking through his bangs. The soldier had settled himself in the chair in the corner of the room, ginger hair hiding his eyes as he wrote in a notebook. Ed recognized the man from the barracks. It was odd; he didn't look, Drachman. 

"I know you're awake." The man grunted in Amestrian, not looking up from his notebook.

Ed froze, slight fear tickling his veins before it was replaced with aggression and anger. He forced his tired body into a sitting position. Ed glowered at the soldier in front of him, resentment growing by the second. 

The soldier sighed, setting down his notebook aside. His ore colored eyes stared at Ed, making the young alchemist.

"What?" Ed snapped, teeth bared. He clenched his fists, reigning in his anger. The man settled his gaze on Ed's face.

"You're sure you're the Fullmetal Alchemist? You look a little yo一".

With a screech snarl, Ed jumped at the man. The man dodged quickly, and Ed hit the floor on his hands and knees. The soldier chuckled at Ed's bared teeth and golden glare as if it didn't phase him.

"They said you were sensitive about your height," The soldier chuckled. Ed jumped to his feet, glaring down at his still pulled apart hands. 

Ed glowered at the soldier, a snarl of frustration bubbling in his throat. He glanced to his right, Ryler was close to him.

 _He's too far away to get to Ryler_ ; his eyes flashed from the boy to the soldier. Vague plans flashed through his mind before the soldier in front of him raised his hands in some form of surrender.

"Woah, kid. Not going to hurt you." He spoke in a calm voice, showing his hands to Ed.

That was when Ed noticed the tattoos on the man's palms; they were alchemic symbols, something he was very familiar with. His eyes squinted, and he stared harder at the hands. They were...yes, symbols for invisibility, a rare form of alchemy that took many years to master.

So, this man was an alchemist, but he couldn't have been a Drachman alchemist, that was already clear due to his appearance. 

"Who are you?" Ed snapped. He crossed his arms as best as he could, trying to appear threatening despite his non-threatening state. The man slowly rolled up his right sleeve, allowing Ed to see what he was doing the entire time.

His breath caught in his throat at that tattoo that revealed itself when the man rolled up his entire sleeve.

A tattoo that symbolized an Amestrian spy.

"You一" He looked at the man with wide eyes as if he would disappear if he'd blink. Ed back away, allowing his body to sink onto Ryler's bed. Silence filled the room for what felt like hours until Ed turned his stunned gaze to the spy.

"Who are you?" His voice shook against his will. Someone had found him; he almost couldn't believe it. 

The spy smirked slightly, holding out his hand for him to shake. "Amaron Destuy," he said quietly. "Phantom alchemist at your service," 

Ed stared at the hand, then cautiously took it. He glanced into the alchemist's eyes; it was surprising to see the unconcealed honesty, it'd been years since he'd seen real honesty without searching for the answers.

"Y'know kid, you got the whole of Amestris looking for you." Phantom whistled, rolling down his sleeve and picking the notebook back up. 

"Clearly," he sneered, rolling his eyes. 

Phantom's head snapped up, confusion flickering through his gaze. "Seriously, kid. You got the damn Fuhrer lookin' for you. You're superior is tearing this country apart looking for you, and so is that brother of yours," he paused a thoughtful expression coming to his face. "Alphonse, right? 

"Yeah, his name is Alphonse," Ed said softly. His gaze traveled to Ryler, and he brushed his fingers through the soft, light-blond curls. "How is he?" He turned to the older alchemist. 

Phantom clicked his tongue, a small smile coming to his face. "From what I hear, he and that lady friend of yours, Winry Rockbell?" He smirked. Ed bit his lip to stop the smile that tried to force itself on his face. "Yes." He hummed.

"Well, apparently that girl, between automail, hasn't let your brother's side on the search for you," His expression turned thoughtful. "You got yourself a good one, Fullmetal."

"We were friends for a long time. So, what's the deal with getting me out of here?" Ed changed the subject, not wanting to linger. His heart sank when Phantom's face fell. "I'm sorry," The older alchemist muttered. "But I can't guarantee you a time frame. We're working on it."

"So I'm supposed to wait here while like a good little soldier and do nothing to provoke them? Nah, screw that," Ed smiled bitterly. "I've kept my head down, thinking it would help things. It hasn't, so I'm done being careful,"

"Is the kid why you've been keeping your head down?" Phantom motioned to the small boy. 

Ed took a moment to look at the boy's face, surprised to find the small boy's eyes fluttering open. A relieved breath escaped him; he was finally awake. "Ed," he whimpered. "My tummy feels bad." 

"I'm sorry, bud." He comforted, glancing at Phantom, who mouthed 'Anesthesia.' He helped Ryler sit up. Ryler swayed in his grip, and Ed carefully held him as he sat before he was steady.

Phantom stood, stretching out stiff limbs. "Need to let them know; you're awake. The two of you have been unconscious the longest," His hand stopped on the door handle when Ed called out to him. 

"What time is it?"

"10 p.m, like I said, y'all were unconscious the longest."

_Damn it, not going to be much time to get everything ready_

Ed shifted uncomfortably on the bed, nearly sighing in relief when Phantom returned a few minutes later, unfortunately, with a doctor. The older alchemist schooled his expression into one of disinterest.

Ed kept a careful eye on the doctor, curling into himself defensively when the doctor approached him. Ed's jaw clenched, and his eyes narrowed. He curled around Ryler protectively, wincing at the small cry the boy released.

"Chem bystreye ya proveryayu yego zhiznenno vazhnyye organy, tem bystreye vy ukhodite (The faster I check his vitals, the quicker you get to leave)" The doctor...doctor Ilyich, snapped.

"Khorosho khorosho (Alright, Alright)." Phantom groaned. Phantom approached him, roughly pulling his arms away from him, giving Ed a silent apology as he pulled his arms away from him.

The doctor quickly moved forward and checked what he needed to, throwing Ed a sharp and annoyed look when he narrowly avoided the punch Ed threw at his face. 

"Voz' mi yego obratno v kazarmu (take him back to the barracks)." The doctor snapped, evacuating the room as quickly as possible and ignoring Ed's howls of insults. Phantom took the hand restraints and dragged Ed, who held Ryler tightly in his arms.

The walk to the barracks was quiet, and Ed thought about how the Amestrian military was searching for him. He looked down at the tiny boy in his arms, who's half-lidded eyes dropped then wrenched themselves open. 

"Phantom," He hissed quietly. The alchemist tilted his head but didn't stop. "An escape is happening tonight." He hissed as quietly as he could. He saw the barely visible nod and relief coursed through him. 

"If they get across the border, then we can get them. Briggs can intercept." He said with a finality that nearly knocked Ed off his feet in relief. The exhaustion from the day almost caught up to him when they reached the barrack.

"Idti. Eti lyudi nuzhdayutsya v tebe (Go. These people need you.)" The restraints on his arms were removed, and he was pushed through the gate. People met him almost immediately, relieved for his safety.

"Did they hurt you?" Jack snapped the second he saw him. Ed shook his head. "Found an ally, there's going to be a slight change of plans," Ed smirked.

Jack's eyebrows rose. "I'm listening."

* * *

It didn't take long to get everyone caught up on the new plan. Surprisingly, everyone agreed that it was the best thing to do, and many were relieved that they weren't going to have to find their way of escape.

The hours passed by quickly, Ed grew more and more nervous. He looked down from time to time, and when people began exiting, Ed knew it was time.

* * *

Ryler was cold. It was something he realized vaguely through his tired mind. Blearily, he raised his head from its position on Ed's shoulder. That was also a little strange; he was never cold when he slept beside Ed.

He clutched Ed's shirt, trying to get his small body to go back to sleep. The headache that accompanied his exhaustion caused his lip to tremble, bile to fill his tummy. He didn't feel good.

"Ed, where are we going?" He mumbled sleepily. 

It took Ed a moment to answer him, and he looked up at his big brother. Ed looked upset; he had tears in his eyes. 

"We're going someplace where you'll be safe." The voice was rough like there was something in his throat. 

Ryler's brow furrowed, he stared up at Ed's face, at the trembling frown on the face that generally held a smile for him. 

In the distance, he heard the voices of people. Where were they going that had so many people? Malachai's family said they were going someplace safe, were he and Ed going someplace safe?

That was fine, as long as he got to stick with Ed, he was okay. 

Ed would make everything okay. He was good at doing that.

The voices grew louder, and Ryler heard the attempts of whispering, and others cried. He didn't know why they were crying; they were going to a safe place.

Suddenly, he was placed onto his feet, startling him, causing him to grab onto the nearest available hand. He stared at the hand, that wasn't Ed's hand! Ryler cautiously looked up, finding himself staring into the brown eyes of a girl.

_Eww!_

Girls were gross! They had cooties. That's what Ghay had told him, and that's why he was cautious of them. 

"Ryler," Ed's cold hand tilted his chin up to see his face; he was relieved to see that the tears were missing, and a small had come to his face. "I want you to stay with Miss. Rose, I have to go do something, can you stay with her?" 

He looked from Miss. Rose to Ed, then nodded. If Ed trusted her, then she was probably safe to trust. "I'll wait with her." He confirmed. Ed nodded, looking relieved before he stood and affectionately ruffled Ryler's hair.

He tightened his hold on Miss. Rose's hand. "What's he doing?" He asked. Ed was an alchemist; he'd learned that almost immediately after meeting him. What was surprising was that he'd been willing to teach him about alchemy. It was enjoyable to learn and easy to understand. One of the best parts was learning fighting alchemy. Ed, of course, hadn't fought him because he was so much smaller, but he learned what to do in case of an emergency. 

"Ryler?" He yelped, quickly looking around. The world focused back in; he must've been in his head for a while. Ed sharpened in front of him, why'd he look so worried and stressed? 

"Sorry, was thinkin'." Ed nodded, turning away from him to talk to Miss. Rose. Ryler took the time to look at where they were now that he was more awake.

Ryler surveyed where they were. It was the fence that he'd been told to go nowhere near. There was a hole now, and people were slipping through. He wasn't close enough, but he was sure if he'd got closer, he'd see signs of alchemy.

Distantly, he listened to the conversation going on behind him.

"Ed, what's wrong?" Miss. Rose sounded worried. 

"Byron and Clarissa aren't able to go. Byron had a flare-up, Clarrisa won't leave him," 

That was too bad; he'd met the nice man and lady yesterday. The old lady had given him a warm hug and the man was very kind to him. He'd liked them immediately. It was worrying that they weren't going to the safe place, but maybe they'd eventually get out of this place that Ed titled a 'hellhole.'

"What are you going to do?" There was a gasp from Miss. Rose, he turned to look up at her face, concerned further to see the horror on it. "Rose, I want you to take him and get to safety." Ed's tone had no room for argument. That wasn't something Ryler hadn't heard directed at anyone that wasn't a threat.

_Take him?_

Wasn't Ed coming with them? 

He didn't hear the race of the conversation; his mind was racing. Terror filled his veins. He'd already lost so much, his parents, his younger brother, his older sister. He couldn't lose another brother! He didn't want to leave Ed. Without Ed, there was nothing left.

 _No, Please, No. Don't leave!_ His mind wailed. Maybe if he told Ed that he didn't want to go, he wouldn't make Ryler leave. He could become a little less annoying, more dependant, anything to stay by Ed's side.

He didn't realize he was crying until he felt the tears falling down his cheeks, warm and cold hands wrapping around him, Ed pulling him to a crushing hug. "Don't make me go." He cried, tightening his grip against Ed's shirt.

 _Don't make me go. Don't make me go. Don't make me go_.

He'd quickly come to realize how much Ed cared for him. Cautiously, then all in when he'd cried the first time, wailing for his parents after a nightmare. Ed was the only one who could calm him down, not Miss. Rose, not anyone.

_Only Ed_

He was being picked up, placed in arms that he didn't want to be in. He instinctively clutched Miss. Rose's clothes, glaring through the thick haze of tears. He saw the tears on Ed's face, and he didn't care. _He didn't care._

"Go on. Waiting for him to stop crying isn't going to help anything," Ed told Miss. Rose, he gave Ryler a sad smile, ruffling his hair.

Miss. Rose held him tightly as if he was going to fight her; then, she started climbing through the hole. 

He cried harder, screamed for Ed as he got farther and farther away. Wailed his hate for how he was never going to see him again, wailed his hatred for Ed. Miss. Rose tried to quiet him as they grew farther and farther away, but he couldn't stop the sobs.

He buried his face into Miss. Rose's neck, wailing and sobbing harder than he ever thought he had in his short life. Ed had gone away, just like his siblings and parents. Ed didn't want to see him anymore.

It hurt, it hurt so much. At some point, Miss. Rose stopped with the shushing and just let him sob his heart out.

And as he fell into an exhausted, uneasy sleep, he knew that the loneliness he felt wasn't going to go away.

He was alone. And that hurt.

And the small boy knew he would need to get used to being lonely.

* * *

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do y'all think? Do yall trust this new doctor? What did doctor Ilyich see? Do y'all think the escapees will get out safe? Remember, Drachman's will do anything to get their prisoners...


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I am alive! I really didn't mean to take as long as I did. I hope you're all doing well. I really love the feedback I've been getting on this fic. Things are beginning to heat up and I can't wait for y'all to see what happens next. I would like to thank the beta reader of this chapter, Mix. They helped me out immensely and I really appreciate it. Anyways, feel free to leave a comment and tell me what you think. Have fun reading!

Snow fell swiftly and quietly around the moonlit night, blanketing the earth. It was much too quiet for the young blond as he stared past the hole in the fence, brow furrowed and golden eyes filled with anguish.

Ed inhaled skaily, causing his exhale to mist in the falling snow. He shoved his numb fingers into his pockets. His gaze fell to his feet, eyes slipping shut as he tried to tell himself that the pain in his chest would disappear in time.

He quickly blinked away any remnants of tears; they’d do him no good. He’d done the right thing, it would take time to get used to being alone, but he’d get through like he always did, one day at a time.

 _You’ll see him again; this isn’t the last time,_ Ed reminded himself. He’d find the boy someday; maybe by then, Ryler will have forgiven him and understood the reasons. That was the most he could hope for because he couldn’t live with feeling like his father.

 _Nope. No, no way in hell you’re going to to start thinking about that bastard, Ed_.

Ed nudged the thought away, pushing it into the deep recesses of his mind. Now was not the time to think about long-buried meaningless issues.

He turned his face up to the sky, distantly he heard the voices of the escapees on their way to freedom. The snow began to fall harder around him, causing the wind to pick up, buffeting his blond bangs around.

 _They need to hurry,_ he thought, slight panic coiling in his gut. It would be near impossible for anyone to see where they were going if they waited any longer. Ed shivered violently, wrapping his arms around him and hurried up to those still standing around it. 

It seemed he wasn’t the only person that felt that way as Jack and another man were trying to convince an older woman and young boy to leave. The older woman’s face seemed to contort with fear at the thought of leaving, she glanced at Ed as he approached but kept her attention to the men in front of her. 

“This is your only chance,” Jack pleaded, a hint of desperation in his voice, “they’ll kill you if you don’t escape.”

The older woman looked longingly through the fence, tightening her hold on the small boy who looked as if he didn’t understand what was happening. 

_Hurry up; there’s not much time left_.

Ed looked behind him through the falling snow, no lights from the perimeter showed on them, he couldn’t see through the inky darkness, and there was no way of knowing how close the soldiers were.

Panic coiled in his gut at the thought, and he quickened his pace to the group.

“You need to leave now,” Ed ground out through gritted teeth, slightly startling the small group at his appearance. “There’s no time, either you leave and survive, or you stay here and die. What’s it going to be?” he snapped.

Tears filled the woman’s eyes, and suddenly she burst into tears.

No, no, no! There wasn’t time for this! She didn’t have time to cry; Ed didn’t realize he’d moved until he was nearly nose to nose with the older woman, grasping her arm firmly but not hard enough to bruise. He stepped through the hole, and the older woman followed, surprise coating her features.

“You have to go now! They will kill you; you’re useless to them.” Ed snapped, eyes blazing with a slight hint of panic. Yet the woman didn’t move, and Ed felt desperation overtake his mind. It clawed at his heart, and it took all of him not to start screaming at the woman.

His breathing picked up, and he began to take in quick, panicked breaths that burned his lung from the freezing air. No, no, no, this couldn’t happen now. He couldn’t afford to spiral into a panic attack now; he had to get through this. He repeated it to himself, even as his chest grew tight and his heart began to pound in his chest. 

“You have to go,” He managed through gasped breaths, “Please,” It was desperate, but he didn’t care. He was sure his face held the panic that was tearing his insides apart piece by piece. 

A brief pause, then the old woman nodded. She looked down at the small boy beside her and then nodded again, and Ed just about collapsed with relief. She walked as quickly as she could to the treeline, then turned and yelled, “Spasibo!”

But Ed had already turned, stumbling back through the hole, fisting his shirt as he tried to breathe. He was shaking, he realized. The woman was gone, but the panic wasn’t leaving, only tightening its hold on his already overtaxed mind.

His vision tunneled, heart roaring in ears. He realized his breaths were coming way too fast, and he choked. His eyes widened, and he slumped onto his side in the fallen snow. The cold seeped into his bones, causing his trembling to worsen.

 _I can’t breathe; I can’t breathe_.

The realization caused the vice gripping his chest to tighten its hold, leaving him gasping. Each breath grew shallower than the last, and he clawed and scratched at his chest, anything for the precious air. 

His muscles spasmed, and the pain nearly caused him to choke. His lips parted, chest heaving for oxygen that wasn’t coming. A shuddering gasp found its way through the seeming lack of oxygen.

_I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe_

Through the pounding of his heartbeat and sputtering gasps of agony, voices called out to him; they seemed muted like his ears were filled with water.

A sharp whimper escaped from him because, _please, I don’t want to die. I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe, I don’t want to die_.

The sensation of someone touching his shoulder managed to break through his panic. He flinched, fog clearing momentarily to focus on the two men in front of him. Their panicked expressions faded in and out through his wheezing and gasping.

“Ed, kid. Talk to me, what’s going on?” A voice broke through the fog, and Ed latched onto it, anchoring himself into reality for the moment. 

“I一” Ed sputtered, his mind drawing a blank. “Panic attack.” The vice suddenly lifted just as quickly as it appeared, and _he could breathe again._

The exhaustion hit Ed all at once, turning his limbs to lead. His head lolled into the snow, feeling as if it weighed hundreds of pounds. Weights tugged at his eyelids, but he couldn’t allow himself to lose consciousness out here. They were finished for if he couldn’t summon the energy to close up the hole.

The hole!

“C’mon, kid, we got you,” Jack’s voice broke in through the exhaustion. He felt hands looping around his shoulders, pulling him to his feet. The world spun for a moment, and Ed’s knees nearly buckled from the exhaustion weighing him down, but the hands didn’t let him fall.

“I一I needー” Ed broke off panting, drawing icy cold air into his oxygen-starved lungs. Hush chest ached with a vengeance, protesting at the deep inhales of breath. Oh yeah, he was going to be sore as hell tomorrow. “T-The hole...I...have to close the hole.”

Ed knew he was in no condition to use alchemy, knives attacked behind his eyes, causing his temples to feel as if they had a heartbeat. He didn’t think he’d be able to stand without stumbling and falling, yet he had to. 

He had to do it for those who’d escaped; Ed was not naive to think that it’d be this easy. The Drachman soldiers would go after the escapees, and he imagined that it wouldn’t take long for the soldiers to catch up. Horses were much faster than walking. That was if the Drachman’s had horses at all, and Ed was sure they did. Once they caught up, it would be a bloodbath. The freed would have no way to defend themselves.

Ryler wouldn’t get the chance to live a normal life.

“Edward一” Ed ignored the rest of the protest; he quickly made up his mind. Sluggishly, he twisted out of the man’s grip. He swayed as the world tilted and spun around him. “Ed, kid, stop!” A hand pulled on his shoulder, nearly causing him to stumble. The goal was right in front of him; he couldn’t afford to fail.

He shrugged the hand off, agonizing, gasped pants escaping from his lips. His body protested with every step. He could barely inhale when he reached the fence. “Ed, you’re in no condition to do this.” Another protest from the man behind him.

“It’s either this or they get a head start on finding them,” He snapped between a gasp, no real heat in his voice. 

Ed knelt in front of the hole, arrays flashing through his mind before choosing the right one. He claps, the alchemic energy hits his fingertips immediately, blue sparks dance on his fingers. A brief smirk appears on his lips before it’s gone just as fast. Alchemy uses energy from the user, the earth, anything it can get its metaphorical hands-on, which is why he feels like he’s about a second from passing out.

He has to do this quickly and cautiously, or it’ll rebound. He breathes shallowly and rapidly, preparing his quickly fogging mind for the transmutation and the possible oncoming rebound.

Ed pressed his mismatched hands into the snow, and the transmutation began. The weakness that hit him all of a sudden was so unexpected that Ed nearly lifted his hands. He forced himself onwards, pushing through the rapidly encroaching darkness. It was almost finished....just a little more…

_Bang!_

Seconds before the hole is fully closed, something hard cracked against his back.

He had to have passed out for a second because, in the next moment of clarity, a boot was on his lower back, forcing him into the snow, something cold pressed into his skull. He decided that any movement would result in a bullet in his head, and he didn’t think he’d be able to move with the way his limbs only twitched, and a wet feeling spread down his back.

He didn’t have time for the pain to set in before something collided with his temple, sending him into inky blackness.

* * *

They’d be running for hours now, running through piling snow through the darkness without a light to guide them. To Rose's relief, the small boy in her arms hadn’t stirred once. She imagined that they had to have been exhausted from the day’s events if the story Ed had given her was anything to go by.

Rose braced herself against another onslaught of howling wind, groans echoing from the others around her. There was no way of telling if they were headed in the right direction or not, but the direction they’d fled had been their only choice at the time.

She looked back, gaze traveling over those with her. As the night broke to dawn, dull sunlight peeked through the clouds but not enough to broaden their visibility. They would need to find shelter and then decide where to go from there. Yet, there was no telling how long it would be before they came across anything.

“Rose,” A voice called out from behind her, breaking through the howling wind. “We need to stop.”

She stopped and turned, flinching at the snow that flew into her face, momentarily blinding her. “What’s the problem?” She asked worriedly.

The group stopped, gathering in a huddle around her. The man who called her made his way to stand in front of her, clutching his young daughter to his chest, trying his best to protect her from the wind.

“We need to find shelter. It’s too dangerous to travel during the day, and I don’t want to risk them finding us.”

“That’s what I was thinking, but we’ve been traveling for hours now and come across nothing that could be used as a proper shelter.”

Worried whispers settled throughout the crowd of people, causing Rose’s worries to grow. Trees surrounded them from all sides, never crowding together enough for them to hide properly.

Rose swallowed back her growing fear. They couldn’t just stand around here forever doing nothing. It was possible if they traveled a few more miles, then they’d find some sort of cover, but it wasn’t a guarantee, and she didn’t think the elderly would last much longer with the way their eyes glowed with exhaustion and how they stumbled every few steps.

Of course, there was one option, alchemy. She glanced down at the boy in her arms and was slightly surprised to find him stirring. His blue eyes looked up at her, confusion clearing and face pinching into a frown. “What’s going on?” he looked around at the crowd of people, probably surprised there were so many.

 _Ryler could make us shelter_.

It was a selfish thought, yet it was the only thing that came to Rose's mind. She briefly recalled the conversation she’d had with Ed about the boy and knew what she had to do. 

“Ryler,” She set him on his feet on the snow, kneeling in front of him. He shivered, arms curling around themselves. He looked miserable. “How much alchemy did Edward teach you?”

Ryler rubbed his eyes and yawned before looking back at her. “I was able to learn a lot, so we got some harder things.” For a second, anger flashed in his eyes before it disappeared just as quickly. 

“Do you know if you could create us a shelter in the trees?” She brushed down the hair that stuck upon his head and smiled at him. The small boy nodded, a look of determination settling upon his face. 

“I think I can. Don’t worry.” 

She nodded and stood. Turning her attention back to the crowd, she took the small boy’s hand and led him forward. “This is Ryler,” She began, motioning to the boy beside her. He shifted uncomfortably under the eyes of the crowd and moved closer to Rose. “Edward taught him. He can make us a shelter.”

The crowd spoke amongst themselves, seeming to Rose, unsure if it was a feat that the boy could accomplish. “Rose, isn’t he only five?” Brandon asked from amongst the crowd.

“Just because I’m five doesn’t mean I can’t do it!” Ryler burst, child-like annoyance on his face. 

The boy crossed his arms and frowned, and Rose found herself proud of the boy who Ed said held so much fire. 

“I don’t doubt it, son, but I hear alchemy is very tricky.” Brandon quavered, voice thick with uncertainty.

“So?” He challenged. “Ed thinks I can. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have shown me more if he didn’t trust me with it!” the boy yelled.

Ryler’s lip quivered dangerously, and Rose could see tears gathering in his eyes. He seemed to be seconds away from a meltdown if he didn’t get his way. She turned to the older man and hissed. “Let him try. No harm can come with it.”

Brandon stared at her, surprised. He relented, sighing, and nodding. “Alright. I guess it wouldn’t hurt.”

“Good,” She turned to the crowd, mentally counting the number of people that would need accommodation. “We need to hurry; the sun is almost up. I’ll show him where I think the shelter would be best held.”

Rose headed deeper into the thicket, small footsteps tromping through the snow after her. Snow covered the leafless trees, the early dawn light turning them into haunting phantoms. She shivered, kicking away tree branches scattered at her feet. 

It was eerily quiet, but she knew it was just in her head. The group was only in the clearing; they were perfectly safe for the moment. Yet some part of Rose felt as if something was watching her every move. 

“I think right here will be alright,” Rose said finally. “Is there any area specifically you need to draw the circle?”

Ryler shook his head. “I don’t think so; Ed told me that when he drew circles, it didn’t affect the transmutation.” 

The boy settled himself into the snow.

After a few minutes, it became apparent to Rose that the time spent in the compound had had more effect on Ryler than she and Ed had worried about. He tensed up whenever the wind picked up, relaxing a moment later as if he’d only just realized it was the wind.

The hoot of an owl returning from the hunt startled the boy so severely that he flinched what had to be two feet into the air. His blue eyes turned toward her, glinting brightly in the early morning light, and her heart broke when he saw his hands shake, and his lips quiver.

What had those bastards done to him? Rose’s heart practically broke, watching the young boy reign his emotions as best as possible while making sure that the tears trekking down his face were silent. 

Ryler still should’ve been with his family, entering school, playing from friends. He deserved all of that and so much more, and now it was very likely that it would take a while for the young boy to move past the past few months. It would take him a very long time to move past Edward.

“Ryler,” Rose settled in the snow beside him. The boy looked away from her, quickly wiping away any tears and then continued with his work. “Are you alright?” She asked. 

Ryler paused once more, staring down at the half-drawn circle. “Why do you care,” he pouted, drawing his arms around his knees. He sniffled and wiped a hand across his nose. “Ed didn’t care. So why do you?”

“Ryler,” She chided, “Ed cares so much for you.”

The boy’s blue eyes narrowed for a moment as if he didn’t believe her, and after all that had happened in the past few hours, Rose couldn’t say she blamed him.

“If that was true, then why did he send me away?”

Distantly, something rustled nearby, and the rustling of the trees against the breeze grew, but Rose ignored it for the feelings of guilt and overwhelming that overtook her.

She started at the boy, a blank look on her face, contrasting the look of anger and misery on the face across from her. How was Rose supposed to respond to that?

“Rye一”

Rose’s next words never came out of her mouth because she suddenly found herself on the ground, the world going hazy around her, and a blood-curdling scream of agony tearing through her lips. 

There was a wolf planted on her chest, jaws locked around her neck.

* * *

Ed hated waking up in strange places, absolutely hated it. He hated with a burning passion. He even hated it more than milk (no he didn’t, milk was on a whole different level). That wasn’t the point, though. The point was that waking up in a cold room, specialized metal handcuffs on your wrists, and having yourself situated in a metal chair with your legs restrained, would’ve panicked an average human beyond belief. Yet panic didn’t even describe the emotion he felt as he craned his head to look around at his new surroundings. 

The walls were plain, faded white with water stains on the ceiling tiles. The floor was tiled, faded white as well. There was nothing noticeable or significant about the room to Ed’s annoyance. It looked like a regular room.

Who knew the Drachman’s had such awful taste.

_You’re one to talk, the voice in his head reprimanded, sounding too much like Mustang._

_Shut up;_ he snapped at himself.

He allowed his head to sag into the back of the chair, eyes falling shut, allowing himself to breathe through nausea that his gut conjured up from anxiety and the slight lick of pain emanating from his back and一

His eyes snapped open, and he remembered. Something had collided against him; a glance down at his abdomen quelled the fear that he’d been shot with a bullet. To Ed, it was a little surprising that they hadn’t used lethal force unless they wanted him alive.

They wanted him alive. 

The magnitude of the thought was gut-wrenching, and he swallowed down the thickness in his throat. Right, this must be the part of his stay in the hellhole where they tortured him to get what they wanted.

A bitter smile forced its way onto his face, and he tilted his face up. “Y’know truth, I know I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but this is getting a little ridiculous.” He joked sardonically. 

There was no way to get out of this, that was the first thing that was clear to him. The second was the flashes of memories, of what Mustang told him to do if he ever encountered a situation like this.

His superior had said something about staying silent, don’t give them what一

A sharp, deep, wailing scream shattered the quiet that encompassed the space that Ed resided. He tensed harshly, eyes trained carefully on the door. If he listened closely, he could hear the sound of an interrogation elsewhere.

Minutes that felt like hours seemed to pass as Ed kept a tense gaze on the door to his left. More than once did the panic almost overtake him, leaving him worrying for his loved ones, how would Al get his body back without him, would Winry be able to move on from him, how he’d never get to see Ryler living a happy life?

_Stop! This is what they want. They want you scared._

Ed blinked stupidly, mind pulling him back to an interrogation tactic.

 _“Drachman are the worst. They leave their prisoners to stew in their thoughts, and when they come to interrogate, the prisoner breaks.”_ Mustang had told him, and he was glad that the conversation was one of the only ones he paid any attention to.

Was there anything else he told you, think…

Ed tried his hardest to remember, but all he got was vague memories of what to do if any other countries captured him.

He groaned in frustration. He needed to learn how to listen better and一

The metal door to his left groaned as it pushed open, interrupting Ed’s turbulent thoughts and silent panic.

He stared blankly at the five soldiers that filed in, the major general, an interrogator, a hulking man who was a major, and three lieutenants, including Phantom. His heart nearly sank when he saw the alchemist’s eyes pull away from his glare.

 _No hard feelings_ , the alchemist’s gaze said when their eyes met momentarily. The man looked slightly ashamed and horrified, and Ed couldn’t hold that against him. 

A chair was dragged in the room for the general, the screeching nearly causing Ed to wince. The interrogator stared at Ed silently from the general’s side, ice blue eyes filled with anger, and Ed eyed the man warily. The man’s fists looked as if they could crush his head without even trying.

The major general stared at him, and Ed could see the barely restrained anger with the way the man’s face twitched, and multiple emotions flittered across his face. The silence also gave Ed to size the general up, taking in the man’s gray speckled beard and gray eyes that looked as if they wanted to tear him apart.

“Your companions have refused to tell me the ring leader of this operation,” The general’s rough voice echoed, a choleric bite to his voice, the general stood, moving to stand closer to the young alchemist restrained in the chair. “They didn’t even break when the brands bore into their skin, and the fire licked them and burned their skin,” The man moved to where his mouth was beside Ed’s ear. “Tell me, boy, do you know what a burn feels like?” The general hissed through his teeth.

“Can’t say I do, but you clearly一”

A fist connected with Ed’s jaw, snapping his head to his right. Bright spots momentarily covered Ed’s vision before he shook them away and turned back to bare his teeth at the general. 

“I don’t have time for games, boy,” The general snarled. 

“I don’t have time for this.” Ed mocked in a high pitched voice.

The next blow didn’t give Ed any time to prepare himself, copper quickly filled his mouth, and he spat it onto the ground between his feet. Blood trickled from the young alchemist’s nose, but he paid no mind to it.

“What happened to the stories I’ve heard of all these scary Drachman tortures? Afraid to use them on someone you can’t kill?” Ed challenged. 

The general sighed, he glanced at the interrogator, who met his gaze and nodded in a silent message that had Ed curious. The man then swiftly opened the door, and the general turned his gaze back to Ed, and to his slight alarm, the coldness had made way for something else, something that Ed couldn’t pinpoint. 

As quick as a snapping turtle, the general grasped Ed’s jaw, pulling his head up and gripping it so hard that Ed nearly groaned. “Don’t mistake me, boy. I was hoping that we’d be able to use slightly less...extreme methods.” His voice turned dangerous, somehow even more than it already was.

Did they think anything they were getting ready to do would get him to talk? They could try all they wanted, but they were never going to get him to sing like a canary.

The interrogator returned minutes later, eyes wide with a form of excitement that caused Ed’s nerves to build. “Odin iz nikh govoril. Ikh kurs na granitsu!” Ed didn’t catch anything the man said, but his heart sank when he saw the general’s eyes light up.

“Khorosho. YA podgotovlyu vecherinku dlya ikh poiska.”

The general turned to him, a dangerous gleam in his eyes. “Well, young alchemist, aren’t you lucky? Someone talked.” 

Ed’s heart skipped a beat.

No, shit, no, no, no!

It took all of Ed’s strength to keep his calm composure. He couldn’t afford for them to see how scared the statement made him. But he was terrified. 

The general stepped away from him and clasped the interrogator on the shoulder. “Two hours. Then he goes to the truck with the others.”

The interrogator simply nodded, satisfied. He took his leave along with Phantom, and another lieutenant and Ed was left alone with two muscular men who were about to beat the shit out of him.

Oh, shit.

* * *

The next two hours had passed in a pain-filled haze. The two soldiers had taken turns beating him bloody, going for Ed’s face, which he was now pretty sure was black and blue. His left eye had already swollen shut, and no matter how much blood he spat out, the copper tang perpetually stayed.

Sweat coated his limbs from the struggle of keeping himself consciousness, and the heaving breaths that drew themselves out of him. His bangs covered his face, clinging to sweat and blood. At some point during the beating, he remembered something in his body cracking, and now realized it focused in his abdomen. Of course, another broken rib.

The beating had started with things he could handle, punches to the face, the abdomen (His torso was probably covered in large dark bruises). Then they’d brought in the fire poker.

_Thankfully, they’d chosen to mask him for that, something he was now glad about because he wasn’t able to hide the agony and his wide golden eyes filled with pain when the white-hot poker dug into his side._

_He’d inhaled sharply, oxygen refusing to enter his lungs as he sputtered and gasped through the pain. The muscles in his neck had tensed, preparing for the scream attempting to work its way from his throat, threatening to tear it apart._

_The muscles in Ed’s hand had tensed so much that the bones protested. The mask quickly turned damp from the sweat and involuntary tears that trickled down his face._

_His heart had felt as if it was going to explode as if it was trying to escape from a pack of feral animals. His lungs burned as his chest had heaved._

_And the fire continued._

Ed is sure he had to have passed out at one point, there’s a vague memory of his limbs turning to lead, his body finally giving out as the pain got too much, and shamefully he thinks he can remember a whimper pulling itself from him as he sank into unconsciousness.

 _You’re pathetic_ ; he snarled at himself. 

He was now alone, a brief respite from the agony. 

He didn’t want to remember how it arched up his spine, causing his limbs to struggle against his will. Didn’t want to remember how he nearly begged for them to stop, and he most certainly didn’t want to remember pleading in his head through his agony for someone to save him.

_How pathetic that you’re reduced to a sobbing child at the instance of pain_

Ed didn’t have the energy to draw a retort to that thought.

* * *

The next time Ed was roused into full consciousness, it was to the sharp squeal of a truck’s wheels, and something nudged against his lips. He gasped, shooting into a sitting position and wincing at the severe pain shooting through his body.

He looked around, taking in the appearances of Jack and the five other men. They were all a mess, each looking battered and bruised, while some were missing fingernails, and Ed slightly winced with sympathy.

“You look like shit, kid.” Jack chortled, a slight smile coming onto his face before it disappeared just as quickly.

“So do you.” Ed retorted, golden eyes flashing. He settled himself carefully against the wall, wincing at the burn on his ankle. 

The older man glanced at him then to his feet, and Ed suddenly felt guilty. He’d gotten them caught and tortured, and now they were going to who the hell knows. This was his fault.

“I’m sorry,” he said aloud, directing to everyone around him. “It’s my fault all of you got caught. I shouldn’t have had that panic attack.” Ed’s fists curled together; a tight expression appeared on his face. 

Whatever happened would be his fault. Damn it.

“It’s my fault, kid,” Ed’s head snapped around to look at the man, surprise on his battered face. “I should’ve known you’d be in no condition to keep helping after you sent that kid off.” The older man rubbed a hand down his face and winced. 

“They broke your finger.” It was more of a statement than a question as Ed motioned to the man’s hand, the ring finger appearing crooked and swollen. 

Jack nodded. “They’re going to find them,” Ed suddenly realized. Horror grew on his face, and he turned to look at the man. “They’re going to kill them.” The realization knocked the air from his lungs.

_Oh, god. Ryler._

The horror spread itself to Jack’s face. “Shit,” He hissed, banging his good hand on the floor. “There’s nothing we can do. They’re on their own.” 

The statement left Ed feeling as helpless as the day he was born. 

There was nothing else that could be said after that. It was a terrifying reality, either the escapees would be able to escape or die. There was no in-between.

All Ed could do was hope. Hope that they escaped in time. Hoped that they escaped the inevitable. 

Looking back, he should’ve known better than to hope.

* * *

The truck came to a halt an indeterminable amount of time later. It jolted Ed from his light doze, pulling him to full attention. The other men around him tensed, waiting for the moment their captors would come for them.

The screech of the door raising caused some to jump a mile. Ed swallowed back the anxiety and met the soldier’s gaze with a glare of his own. He was the first one out, shivering immediately at the snow falling around them.

A chain was attached to the collar on his neck, and he’d never felt more like a dog.

He took note of their surroundings. It was a large, wide-open field, filled with bushes and spotted with a few trees. Something was unsettling about this place, but Ed couldn’t put his finger on it.

He limped along with the soldier, wincing as the cold made his wounds ache. The soldier tugged at the chain, tightening the collar and making him feel as if he couldn’t breathe momentarily. “I’m going; I’m going.” He snarled.

They walked down a hill and finally stopped at an area with posts in the center. Ed is forced into the snow, arms wrapped around the post, and the chain around the collar wrapped around so tightly that barely a tug results in him nearly choking.

Distantly as he stares up at the soldier, a knife and gag in hand, a shiver of fear runs through him. Were they planning on killing them?

No, he decided after the gag was placed in his mouth. That would be much too easy. Drachman torture based itself on fear. They wanted their prisoners scared, and perhaps they wanted him scared enough to give in and help them with whatever they were planning.

This had to be the worst time to think about it, but Ed had a vague memory from yesterday, something had been inserted into his arm. He’d noticed the pinprick, but hadn’t thought anything of it.

They’d put something in him, in all of the kids. In Ryler.

A sharp sting breaks Ed out his disquiet, and he jolts. A hiss escapes from his lips, and the flinch jostles the knife sticking out his bicep that he can see in the corner of his eye. As quickly as it appeared, it disappeared. The blood appeared immediately, dripping down his forearm and off his fingertips, staining the snow a deep crimson.

The soldier hummed in approval, wiping the bloody knife off on his pants. Ed squeezed his eyes shut, the wound throbbing. It’s probably not all that deep, could’ve possibly probably only torn flesh and tissue.

Small grunts came from the other men, and then the smell of crimson filled the cold air. Ed scowled, there was no telling what animal could be attracted to the blood.

Unless…

Ed’s eyes widened, and his breath momentarily stopped.

Oh, shit.

“Where are you going,” Jack’s voice rang out through the wind. “You can’t just leave us here!” Terror filled the man’s voice, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see just how scared the man was.

The soldier sighed. “We’ll be back some time.” The man’s footsteps quieted as he moved further away.

“Better stay on your guard,” The soldier shouted back, amusement in his voice. “The wolves come out at night.”

With that statement, it was quiet. It all made sense now. The blood...the wolves, they would come and there would be no way for any of them to defend themselves.

_Shit._

* * *

**If you'd like to request anything or follow me on my journey of writing this fic, then follow me on twitter @wests_barry, on Instagram @extrawestallen, on Tumblr @Alchemicwestallen**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did y'all? Y'all think Ryler will be able to escape? How about Ed? Until next time!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all! I really need to apologize for taking ages to post this chapter. College this semester was kicking my butt and I also got very bad writer's block for this chapter. I don't know when the next time I'll update this fic, but I am for sure going to finish it eventually. Please bear with me. Thanks. I appreciate all the love this fic has gotten, you don't know how much it means to me. So, thank you for supporting me!

Feel free to join my discord servers: My [personal ](https://discord.gg/27AWYFA)

and [Edling](https://discord.gg/zgQNNDCjFV)

* * *

The night sky glittered under bright stars, new and old. They twinkled, hinting at their death from billions of miles away. On any other night, Alphonse would’ve called them peaceful. Now they mocked him, lulling him into a false sense of security. Yet at the same time, he was the safest he’d ever been, his friends asleep back in the office while he kept close on a bench outside. 

His brother had been missing from his side for two months, twelve days, and five一no一ten seconds.

Even beautiful nights like these couldn’t soothe the way his metaphorical heart ached as the days passed, days without leads -- no leads on where his fiery older brother was, or if he was even alive.

He banished that thought quickly.

He missed watching over Ed, missed hugging his older brother to his chest whenever he had a nightmare, missed their bickering and how he would stay up as late as he needed to to make sure that Al was okay when the armor became overwhelming when he felt so exhausted and wanted nothing more to be able to sleep but couldn’t. He missed Ed’s feral grin when he discovered some little piece of information to use to blackmail Mustang, whenever he joked around with Havoc or Breda. 

He missed him so terribly that it felt like his heart was breaking without him. It felt like his non-existent lungs couldn’t breathe without Ed there.

And it was Mustang’s fault.

Mustang had been the one to tell Ed about the killer. Mustang had been the one to drive Ed to desperation. And yet, Al knew it was just as much as his brother’s fault as much as it was Mustang’s fault.

Al didn’t realize he was trembling until there was a sharp squeal of metal and a dry, metallic sob escaped from him. 

_ Please, brother. I need you. _

“Alphonse?”

With a sharp gasp, Al spun around, coming face to face with Mustang. The man’s dark eyes were half-lidded, dark hair unkempt, and sticking up everywhere. A frown appeared on the Flame Alchemist’s face as he noticed the trembling.

Al knew he must’ve been a pathetic sight, curled up on the bench, shaking like a little kid, but he supposed everyone deserved to break down from time to time, especially after something like these last few months. 

“Colonel Mustang, shouldn’t you be asleep?” Al asked quietly, turning his head away from the man to look at his metal hands. He didn’t think he could bear the Mustang’s stare. It felt as if he was trying to pick Al’s mind apart piece by piece. 

The bench released a loud squeak of protest as Mustang settled his weight on it; it wouldn’t hold the both of them for long.

“Alphonse,” Mustang began, pausing as if to pick his words carefully. “Are you alright?” Mustang asked, placing a hand on Al’s hard shoulder.

“I miss him!” Al burst out, clenching his fists and barely stopping himself from yelling. “We barely have any leads. It’s like he disappeared right off the face of the earth!” Al gestured wildly, throwing his hands up.

Al dropped his helmet into his hands. “I feel like a failure. If it’d been me, brother wouldn’t have slept until he found me,” he whispered.

A sharp sigh escaped from the man beside him. 

“This isn’t your fault, Alphonse; it’s mine,” Mustang said, voice quiet and tired. 

“I know but it’s not entirely your fault,” Al whispered, he didn’t believe it was entirely Mustang’s fault yet he felt that he should’ve stopped his brother before he had done anything.

Mustang brushed a hand over his face, wiping away the remnants of sleep. “You blame me, don’t you, for putting him in the position.” It was more of a statement than a question, and when he finally looked over, Mustang’s obsidian eyes hardened, as if preparing for Al to yell at him, tell him he hated him, to have  _ some  _ sort of outburst.

For several long moments, it was quiet except for the chatter of crickets and frogs. Just before the silence could grow awkward, Al finally spoke.

“I―well―,” Al stammered; he groaned in frustration, unable to figure out what he wanted to say. “My mind is telling me to blame you, but…”

“But?” Mustang prompted, dark gaze filled with curiosity.

“Another part of me is telling me to blame Ed for being careless and not thinking things through more. I just feel so lost, Colonel…” He let out a choked noise. “I don’t know what to do,” Al said, a sob in his voice. “I miss him so much.”

“I miss him too,” said a quiet voice. Al startled at the small voice. He and Mustang both turned to look at Winry, dressed in pink pajamas and her hair up in a bun. For all the despair on her face, there was still fire in her eyes.

“Scoot,” Winry said. Mustang scrunched up so she could take a seat beside him. He scowled at her, and she frowned back. “By all means, make yourself comfortable,” he muttered.

Winry threw another glare his way before resting her head against Al’s metal shoulder. “You know Ed would throw a fit if he saw us like this,” A quiet, wet laugh escaped Winry.

Al glanced at his best friend, metaphorical heart falling at the tears dripping down her face. 

“He’d tell us to stop feeling sorry for ourselves,” Al chuckled lightly, wrapping his arm around Winry. “I remember when he nearly died on the Shaual case, and Mustang was worried sick.” 

Mustang sputtered noisily, pulling two small laughs from his companions. He sighed heavily and buried his hands in his face. “You try not being concerned about a person that nearly drowned and was technically dead for five minutes.” He grumbled.

Winry’s tearful blue eyes snapped to Mustang’s, shock and surprise glittering in her eyes. “Was that why he came home with his inner arm covered in rust?”

“Yes,” Mustang deadpanned. 

“Don’t tell me,” Winry groaned, “He didn’t even care that he could’ve died?” 

“He acted like I was crazy for lecturing him on why he shouldn’t have jumped off that boat. He has two metal limbs for crying out loud!”

Al and Winry laughed, causing a small smile to appear on Roy’s face. The laughing dissolved into a comfortable silence, only broken by Winry sighing.

“I just hope he’s staying out of danger,” Winry whispered. “He never misses the chance to start a commotion.”

Al and Mustang hummed in agreement, both thinking about when the fourteen-year-old had shown no restraint in starting an argument with anyone over something minor.

“I just hope it won’t be long before一.” 

“Colonel Mustang!” A voice yelled, interrupting whatever Winry had planned to say. Each of them spun around, taking in the excitement in Hawkeye’s fawn eyes.

She clutched a piece of paper in her right hand, which had something scribbled on it that Roy couldn’t make out. 

“The phone rang!” She panted in between breaths.

“At this time of night? Who was it?” Roy’s brow furrowed, slight annoyance on his face.

“Our informant. They found him; they found Edward!”

Roy heard gasps come from the two teens behind him and then a muffled sob. “Do we know if he’s safe? Is he hurt?” Roy’s questions bombarded the Lieutenant. His heart picked up; Ed was no longer lost. They were one step closer to rescuing him.

“Was that all that was said, Lieutenant?” Roy jumped to his feet, regaining his professional air, ready to make any commands to get Ed home. 

“No, sir. I’ve been informed that tonight there will be an escape attempt for the elderly and young. They’ve been instructed to head to the border, where Briggs will intercept them into their care.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant. We should probably go to start preparing communications with Briggs.” Roy flashed her a thankful smile, obsidian eyes bright for the first time in a long while.

“No need, Colonel. Our informant has requested that we head to Briggs as well. There’s a kid that he wants us to meet, someone that Ed met while in there.” Hawkeye informed. 

“Well,” Roy sighed, curiosity filling him to the brim, “let’s go make the arrangements. Knowing Fullmetal, this kid is probably important.”

“We’re coming with you, Colonel!” Alphonse’s metallic voice rang from behind them. He looked over his shoulder, glancing at the determined look on Winry’s face and the way Alphonse held himself. A simple ‘no’ wouldn’t stop them from saving the one they loved.

Mustang stared at them, then relented, sighing and dragging a hand over his face. “I’m not going to convince either of you to stay, am I?” Mustang Inquired. He was sure he could argue all day with the younger Elric and not dissuade him.

“No.” They both said at once. 

“Alright then, go get your things and then get back here. We have a lot to do.” Mustang’s eyes flashed with a determined light before heading back into headquarters, Hawkeye close behind him, leaving the two teens alone.

Winry stood, pausing for a moment, looking at the stars. “Winry, are you alright?” Anxiety trembled in Al’s voice; gone was the hopelessness from an hour before. Winry quickly wiped at her face, turning to Al. “Let’s go get him back.”

With those determined words, Alphonse followed Winry to the barracks. He caught one last glance at the stars as they twinkled.  _ Soon, brother. You won’t have to wait much longer _ , Alphonse promised.

The stars continued their silent vigil, uncaring.

* * *

The scream that tore from Ryler’s throat was ungodly and piercing. Ryler stared slack-jawed with horror at the wolf on Rose’s chest, tearing into her, blood flying, pooling from somewhere; there was so much of it. The wolf’s face whipped around to him; bloodied jowls pulled back into a snarl.

The creature was a big, white beast, blue eyes piercing and staring right through Ryler. He’d heard stories from the others around him, warning him of the scary monsters that lurked right outside where they’d been kept. He now wishes that they hadn’t told him that story.

He tore his eyes away from the wolf, terrified gaze drifting to glance down at Rose quickly. She lay unmoving, auburn eyes slowly closing. A trickle of blood escaped from the corner of her mouth as she worked on trying to say something, all the while the wolf had returned its attention to her, tearing at her. 

“R-Ry-Rye..ler...run.” She gasped, going still.

He could hear voices echoing through the trees, responding to his scream of terror. He needed to run before the wolf finished, that much he knew. Ryler’s breath came out in shuddering gasps, lips trembling, a terrified sob bubbling in his throat.

“Go away!” He screamed, voice coming out as more of a high-pitched sob. The wolf stopped tearing at Rose’s motionless body, ears pricked, and it swiveled Its head in Ryler’s directions. The echoing yells sounded distant and many miles away despite the voices getting closer.

Ryler quickly glanced down at the nearly completed transmutation circle. A quick change in one or two of the lines would turn it into stone. Activating it would hopefully scare the wolf away.

His vision blurred with tears; he swiped snow over old marks, quickly replacing it with new lines. The boy panted, struggling to draw in breaths in but refusing to stop. Terror seized his already terrified mind for a moment when he placed a hand on the array to activate it and couldn’t visualize what the transmutation would look like.

A small scream of frustration tore from his throat, and the array forced itself into his adrenaline-filled mind. He smacked a hand into the middle, and blue electricity filled the area. The next few moments pass in slow motion.

The wolf wails a sharp, high-pitched sound as a sickening squelch is heard. Its sounds of pain grow louder as the stone twists around the wound. The sound dies down to whines just as quickly as it begins to hobble away, limping on three paws, a bloody tear on its rear left leg and flank.

A scream tears itself from the small boy, and he crumples into the snow, blood pooling under his shoulder from a rebounded stone.

It goes quiet.

“They’re over here!” A voice yelled. Nausea fills the boy’s throat, the pain barely dulled by numbing snow. A cry pulls itself past the tears; horrified faces appear above him. His eyes fall shut against the pain.

It hurt so badly. Should it have hurt at all? Ed hadn’t mentioned alchemy hurting. Someone touched his shoulder, pulling a small whine from him. The grip tightening, shrieking whines growing. “Stop,” He moaned, pushing the hand away, “It hurts.”

The hands pressed harder; then there was a tug. Ryler’s not sure which he reacts to, the sharp ache that radiates through his neck or its suddenness.

They really should’ve told him before making him hurt. 

The pain melted away all of a sudden, as did his scream. The smell of blood no longer touches his olfactory senses. The world was white as if blanketed in snow. Which the world was. The white faded to a dull gray, then to a pale blue above him.

Ryler blinked, but the blue didn’t go away. He frowned and wiggled his fingers, the movement sending dull shards of pain down his arm. Something was under his head, but any movement to try to get up sparked pain through the boy. A small whimper pulled from his lips.

The sound must’ve alerted someone nearby because a face appeared in his vision. They were blurred, but he slowly focused on one of them, knelt beside him, and brushed a stray hair from his face.

What was her name? It started with an ‘M’... Right, it was Marley. She was a kind older woman.

He moved his arm to grasp onto her, causing the sharp ache to turn into a burning. He whimpered a harsh sound. “Hurts.” He moaned, tears falling from his tightly squeezed eyes. Marley pulled him into her arms, positioning him to nestle his face into the crook of her neck.

“Is he awake?” A voice called over the rustling wind, Brandon he recognizes. The chin on his head nodded, and a set of footsteps approached. 

A rough, calloused hand took hold of the boy’s chin, gently pulling his face away from the woman’s shoulder. The man immediately noticed the boy’s tightly shut eyes, so tight that a trail of tears fall down his face. Slowly, the boy’s face slackened, the pain dissipating for the time being.

“Ryler, can you look at me?” Brandon asks gently, a hand resting on his cheek. Slowly, the boy peels an eye open, then another. His bright but slightly dulled blue eyes drifted to the man’s face. 

The man’s lips curled into a small, barely noticeable smile once Ryler’s eyes reached him, tension leaking from his shoulders. “You’re lookin’ much better, kid. You looked real bad earlier.”

“What happened?” The boy’s small voice quivered. He vaguely remembered the wolf, blood, and the flashes of Miss. Rose on the ground. The flashes of Miss. Rose were so sudden that he jolted out of Marley’s arms. He ignored the small jolt of pain from his shoulder. Where was she? He remembered that she was so still on the ground while the wolf was on top of her. 

“Miss. Rose,” Ryler gasps, staring up at Brandon, blue eyes filled with disquiet. “Is she alright? The wolf didn’t hurt her too badly, did it?”

There’s a small silent pause. Marley and Brandon exchanged looks, a pained expression on both faces, something Ryler doesn’t catch, “Where is she?” She isn’t too badly hurt, right?” 

“Ryler, sweetheart,” Marley begins, drawing Ryler into her arms. She rested her chin back on his head. The older woman opened her mouth, momentarily gaping as if she was a fish. “She’s gone.”

“Gone?” Ryler asked, his head cocked, a look of confusion on his face. “What do you mean? Why did she leave? Isn’t it dangerous out here?”

Marley grimaced; a shuddering breath escaped her lips. “Ryler, sweetheart, the wolf...her wounds..she died an hour ago.” 

“Died? What does that mean?” Now the young boy was perplexed. He’d heard the word thrown around by Ed and others multiple times, but he was too afraid to ask. There was always a feeling of heaviness accompanying the word.

“It means she’s gone. She passed to a better place.” The older woman brushed her fingers through Ryler’s hair. The explanation confused the boy even more. If she was gone, then why couldn’t she just come back?

“Why not?” The boy’s shoulders trembled. “Did I do something wrong? I tried as fast as I could to activate the circle. I promise.” The boy’s voice trembled.

“Sweetheart, no,” The older woman murmured, fighting back tears of her own. There was no way that he would understand as young as he was. “You did nothing wrong. The wolf made her very sick. She didn’t survive.”

Ryler still didn’t entirely understand what the older woman meant, but he knew what it meant for someone never to come back. Mom and dad had left him, Ed had left him, and now Rose had left him. He was alone.

Ryler’s face screwed up, teeth clenching. His chest felt tight, warmth building in the back of his eyes.

_ They’re gone. _

_ They’re gone. _

_ They’re gone. _

Then he was sobbing, loud, and desperately clinging to the woman holding him. It really wasn’t fair that people kept leaving. 

It really wasn’t fair.

* * *

“Brother, stay awake!”

Ed snapped awake with a sharp gasp, confusion filling his frozen mind. Panting, ragged breaths misted the air in front of him, momentarily warming him before the bitter cold was felt again. He could’ve sworn...was it a dream, or had that really been Al’s voice?

He shook off the thought as quickly as it came. It seemed to be nothing more than an auditory hallucination, something that happened when one’s brain was exhausted. He shifted, body protesting with aches of pain. His face throbbed, one eye swollen shut under a layer of blood and ugly bruises. 

He turned his head as much as the collar would allow, Jack’s grey hair filling his periphery. He could barely tell, but it looked as if the man’s beard was spotted with blood. The other five guys couldn’t have looked any better. Still, he needed to know the state of their injuries if they were going to escape and survive the night.

Slowly, as to not pull the collar surrounding his neck taut, he carefully shifted the cuffs around the post, hissing quietly as the movement pulled on the quickly scabbing knife wound on his shoulder.

It took a few minutes, but finally,  _ finally, _ he managed to face the older man. His heart chilled in his chest for a moment, the man’s breaths barely misted in the air around him, chest faintly rising and falling. He could imagine that if he’d been able to press two fingers against the man’s jugular, he’d find the pulse to be thready at best.

Anxiety swelled in his throat; it was nearly completely dark. It was only logical that it would get much colder throughout the night. 

_ Shit! _

“Jack!” He hisses. The man twitches, slowly dragging himself to the land of the living. He breathes a heavy sigh of relief. Jack’s head droops, and Ed knows he doesn’t have much time to do this.

“Jack!” He hisses once again. He can see the man jolting and turning to look at him in the corner of his eye. The older man shivers violently.

“Kid?” He asks softly.

“Yeah, I’m here.”

Ed hears the man breathe a sigh of relief. He swallows down the lump in his throat. Shifting more than the ropes and restraints allow but he has to know if the man is alright. He nearly chokes, the collar pulling, taut, but he needs to tell the man the slight plan he has.

“H-How, tight are the ropes around your wrists?” He chokes. He has to shift back for a second to breathe. He hears the man pulling and tugging, grunting against the strain. Then there’s a sharp hiss of annoyance. 

“I could probably get out of them with some time. They’re looser than what yours appear to be,” Another hiss, then a tired sigh, “I can barely feel my fingers, so it’ll probably take a while.”

Ed glanced down at his fingers; he curled them, frowning at how long they took to respond to him. It was so cold. He sighed, glancing back up at the man. A mix of emotions fluttered through Jack’s eyes, sorrow being the biggest. Ed had to look away. It felt like hours before he could look at the man again without tears burning his eyes.

“Trying rubbing the rope against the pole. Maybe it’ll fray.”

Ed saw the man nod and begin rubbing the rope. He leaned his head back and allowed his eyes to slip shut, mind in turmoil. There wasn’t much they could do about their current situation, escape and wait who knows long until the Drachman’s came or mother nature would take care of them first.

It wasn’t until thirty minutes later when he could barely see the older man in the moonlight, that Jack broke free. The older man rubbed at his wrists, wincing slightly. Ed breathed a trembling sigh of relief. He nearly laughed.

Jack was sluggish in his movements to stand, and Ed could tell that he didn’t look good at all. He made a move towards Ed, but the young alchemist shook his head. “Free the others first; it’ll take longer to get me free.”

“Alright, but the collar is coming off.” Ed went rigid as the man walked behind him. It was hard not to after everything that had happened. After a few minutes, the collar falls slack, relieving the tight pressure around Ed’s throat. He sighed with relief.

He held himself tensely, the moon having gone down for a good while now. He slowly relaxed his muscles, calming himself. Wolves were mostly nocturnal; it would be a while before any of them came around. They’d be long gone by then.

He was proven wrong, not even a moment later.

The first sounds to reach his ears were high pitched yips, resembling a small dog’s bark. That wasn’t worrying; many animals could sound like that, specifically foxes. Maybe that was the denial; the howling began moments later.

Ed’s heart rose to his throat. The howling was far away, but it was only a matter of time before the wolves would catch up; after all, a wolf’s sense of smell was one hundred times greater than a human’s. 

_ Shit. Shit. Shit. _

Ed scrabbled, turning himself into an uncomfortable position so that he could see Jack. The man was halfway done, and that only increased Ed’s desperation. To Ed’s horror, the howling only grew closer. 

“Jack!” He finally yelled, they were out of time. They had to get out of there. Behind him, the voices rose with his panic. Jack’s footsteps pounded in the snow, finally reaching him and working to remove the cuffs tightly wound around his wrists.

The old man cursed furiously and panic swelled in Ed’s throat like a bulging river. Something collided with one of the metal rings, sending a sharpe ache up his arm, the ring gave way.  _ Yes! _ He pulled his flesh wrist in front of him, it ached from the hours it had been pinned. He reached back blindly, searching for his metal palm. 

He heard the buzzing of the lightning as soon as his palms connected.

The second ring gave way and Ed wrenched his other arm in his lap. He jumped to his feet, counting the number of people with him. The howling broke his concentration, pulling it to the edge of the pit. There was snarling, something he hadn’t heard minutes ago.

They weren’t there, then they were.

Eyes reflected from the moonlight, five wolves, huge creatures, peered down at them, their jaws pulled back into a snarl. Three of them were grey, gold eyes staring horrified into shared gold eyes. The two biggest, the color of midnight, eyes the color of ice. 

The world ground to a standstill, breaths paused, the snow stopped falling, it was just them and the wolves. They were at the mercy of  mother naturemothernature .

Unfortunately, mother nature is rarely kind.

One of the wolves moved, breaking the tense silence. It  jumps down the side, barreling towards Ed, not giving him any time to move before tackling him to the ground, sinking its teeth into flesh.

Ed screamed.


End file.
